Open Day KIK-IRPA
On 2 and 3 March 2023, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage opened its doors to nearly 1600 visitors who came to discover more about our unique interdisciplinary institute, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
On Thursday and Friday, 2 and 3 March 2023, KIK-IRPA opened its doors to 1600 visitors nationwide. They discovered the services of our scientific institute and talked to our art historians and experts in the labs and workshops. The public visited, among other things, the digitization services, the scientific imaging studios, the radiography and infrared reflectography rooms, and the numerous restoration workshops.
It was a pleasure for our visitors to discover that our work is not limited to the restoration of works of art but also concerns the study and documentation of our history, which is helpful for the research in the field of cultural heritage, keeping in mind sustainability and social utility at all times.
This open day is a special event, in the context of the 75th anniversary of our interdisciplinary institute, located in the Cinquantenaire, in the heart of Europe.
The Polychrome Wood Sculpture Studio presented, among other things, a Brussels altarpiece of the Adoration of the Magi from the Basilica of San Nazaro Maggiore in Milan, a masterpiece of 15th-century Brabantine sculpture, as well as a Christ Triumphant in the Rococo style, attributed to the Namur sculptor Feuillen Houssart. Our experts answered all the questions of a public astonished by the works' richness.
The Painting Studio team presented a work by P.P. Rubens (1577-1640) undergoing restoration as part of the Heritage Challenge, "Madonna surrounded by saints", from Antwerp, a Christ crowned with thorns by Dirck Bouts (1410-1475), for the Museum M in Leuven, "The 7 joys of the Virgin", a painting by Lanceloot Blondeel (1496-1561) from the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Tournai, and a 15th-century painting depicting various scenes from the life of St. Joseph from the Church of St. Catherine in Hoogstraten.
More KIK-IRPA news
An unforgettable evening in support of the Rubens chapel
On Thursday, December 12th, 2024, heritage enthusiasts gathered at the Saint James' Church in Antwerp for a successful fundraising dinner in support of the conservation and restoration of Rubens' tomb chapel and its artistic treasures.
On behalf of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage and the Church Board of Saint James' Antwerp, we would like to sincerely thank everyone – both those in attendance and other donors – for their support and generosity.
Conservation of the Ghent Altarpiece continues to reveal the unparalleled virtuosity of the Van Eyck brothers
As with the first two phases of the conservation-restoration project of the Ghent Altarpiece, the KIK-IRPA team has encountered extensive overpainting from the 16th century. The removal of the thick and often heavily darkened layers of paint requires significant time and concentration but gradually reveals the subtle nuances so characteristic of the Van Eyck brothers' painting technique.