Knowledge sharing
The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) ensures the transmission of knowledge with regard to our heritage, works of art and conservation-restoration expertise. It aims to share its knowledge and expertise to the maximum extent with the heritage sector and the general public.
Knowledge sharing is part of our mission
We share knowledge in a variety of ways:
- The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage already plays a pioneering role in open data by ensuring that all research data collected by the Institute is available without restriction. We use the most appropriate technical means for the online transmission of our research data.
- The Institute is present at numerous international colloquia and knowledge-sharing platforms.
- The Institute also focuses on the publication of scientific articles and publications. Through our work on traineeships, we strive to provide the most appropriate technical means for the online transmission of our research data.
- Our employees carry out teaching assignments at universities, colleges and academies and give guest lectures both at home and abroad.
Visit our Information Centre
Our Information Centre is rich with resources for art and heritage scholars and the general public.
High-level publications
You will find information about Belgium's art heritage in the four series and the Bulletin published by the Institute.
Publications

Browse the publications
In the four series and the journal published by the KIK-IRPA, you will find a wealth of information about Belgium's art heritage.

KIK-IRPA series and journal
KIK-IRPA publishes its own specialist journal, the Bulletin, and four world-renowned series, the Scientia Artis, and dealing specifically with the Flemish Primitives, the Corpus, the Repertory and the Contributions.

RIHA Journal
The RIHA is an open access electronic journal published by the International Association of Research Institutes in the History of Art (RIHA), of which the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage is a member.
Resources and tools
We support heritage experts and enthusiasts in various ways. In this respect, we have made several useful tools available:
We organise training courses and activities
The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage organises numerous training courses, conferences and other activities.
Art history seminars
Since 2000, we have organised annual art history seminars on different art themes in Belgium from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Specialists from Belgium and abroad discuss the state of research and exchange knowledge and ideas.
- Art History Seminar 23 (12-13.09.2024): The Archduchess Isabella (1566-1633) : Artistic Agency between Madrid and the Southern Netherlands
- Art History Seminar 22 (24.11.2023): L’actualité de la recherche sur la sculpture en Belgique = Lopend onderzoek naar de beeldhouwkunst in België
- Art History Seminar 21 (10.11.2022): L’IRPA revoit la copie = De kopie in de kunst: dubbel en KIK
- Art History Seminar 20 (24-25-26.10.2019): Ornamenta Sacra : late medieval and early-modern liturgical objects in a European context (1400-1800)
- Art History Seminar 19 (30-31.05.2018): Nouveaux regards sur les saisies patrimoniales en Europe à l’époque de la Révolution française = Een nieuwe blik op de inbeslagname van erfgoed in Europa ten tijde van de Franse Revolutie
- Art History Seminar 18 (9-10.02.2017): Copies of Flemish Masters in the Hispanic World (1500-1700)
- Art History Seminar 17 (25-26.02.2016): 1515-1547 : Francis I and the artists of the North
- Art History Seminar 16 (22-24.10.2015): Flesh, gold and wood : the Saint-Denis altarpiece in Liège and the question of partial paint practices in the 16th century
- Art History Seminar 15 (13-14.02.2014): Art nouveau revisited : tendencies and specificities
- Art History Seminar 14 (3.12.2013): Regards d’historiens de l’art sur l’étude du vitrail monumental en Belgique = Blik van de kunsthistoricus op de studie van de monumentale glasramen in België
- Art History Seminar 13 (16-17.02.2012): Questions d’ornement
- Art History Seminar 12 (20-21.10.2011): A masterly hand : interdisciplinary research on the late-medieval sculptor Master of Elsloo
- Art History Seminar 11 (10.10.2010): Machinae spirituales : les retables baroques dans les Pays-Bas méridionaux : mise en contexte européen et contribution à une histoire formelle du sentiment religieux au XVIIe siècle
- Art History Seminar 10 (3.12.2009): Léon Delaissé et l’exposition La miniature flamande (1959) : un demi-siècle de recherches sur l’enluminure « bourguignonne » = Léon Delaissé en de tentoonstelling De Vlaamse miniatuur (1959): vijftig jaar onderzoek naar de “Bourgondische” miniatuurkunst
- Art History Seminar 9 (24.10.2008): De Renaissance prentkunst in de Zuidelijke Nederlanden = La gravure de la Renaissance dans les Pays-Bas méridionaux
- Art History Seminar 8 (24.04.2007): Photographie documentaire et histoire de l’art = Documentaire fotografie en kunstgeschiedenis
- Art History Seminar 7 (30.03 – 1.04.2006): Campin in context : peinture et société dans la vallée de l’Escaut à l’époque de Robert Campin, 1375-1445
- Art History Seminar 6 (2.12.2005): La peinture murale en Belgique
- Art History Seminar 5 (30.11.2004): Les artistes belges et les salons, de la fin du XVIIIe au début du XXe siècle
- Art History Seminar 4 (10.12.2003): Vingt-cinq ans de recherche en Belgique sur les Primitifs flamands : bilans et perspectives = Vijfentwintig jaar onderzoek naar de Vlaamse Primitieven in België : stand van zaken en perspectieven
- Art History Seminar 3 (19.09.2002): Les décors d’intérieurs civils aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles
- Art History Seminar 2 (13.12.2001): Le monument public en Belgique de 1830 à 1918
- Art History Seminar 1 (25.02.2000): La sculpture baroque dans les Pays-Bas méridionaux et la Principauté de Liège