KIK-IRPA open house day 2023
Fascinated by art, culture and science?

Are you fascinated by art, culture and science? At the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage's open day, you will discover all the finer points of heritage conservation and restoration:
How does restoration work? What is dendrochronology? Do you have historical photos from my municipality? How do you make a radiograph of a painting? How do you determine the composition of medieval paint? And how do you tell the difference between an original artwork and a forgery?
Our passionate restorers, art historians, chemists and photographers leave no question unanswered. Let your eyes wander in the restoration studios displaying a wide range of artworks, discover how radioactive particles reveal the age of an object, or how to use ultraviolet or infrared light to visualise the invisible. At the Institute, years of experience and cutting-edge technology go hand in hand to safeguard the future of historic monuments and works of art from all over Belgium.
"I find it very enriching. The people working here in the different departments are very open. You can feel that they want to share their profession and their passion. They are open to all kinds of questions and that is really very interesting!"
Practical
We are open continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. However, advance registration is required. When you register, you will be asked to designate a time block. This time block applies only to the start of your visit. There are seven one-hour time blocks. Your visit itself may certainly be longer.
Are you coming as a group (> 10 people) and would like an introduction to our general operation? Please let us know your arrival time via info@kikirpa.be

Registration is required
Register nowUpcoming KIK-IRPA events
Summer School 2024: Saving energy for cultural heritage institutions
The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) is organizing an international Summer School in partnership with The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).
8th International Architectural Finishes Research Conference
From May 29 through 1 June 2024, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) will host the Architectural Finishes Research Conference in Amsterdam. They do so in collaboration with renowned partners on this subject in the Low Countries: the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA), SRAL ‒ The Conservation Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and University of Amsterdam (UvA).