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
Chancellor Rolin in 3.5 billion pixels. A masterpiece by Van Eyck as you've never seen it before
The Louvre in Paris recently solicited the services of KIK-IRPA for the exhibition 'Revoir Van Eyck. La Vierge du Chancelier Rolin', which runs until June 17, 2024. The painting of The Madonna of Chancellor Rolin, freshly restored, was captured in images again by our teams. Moreover, it got its own section on the Closer to Van Eyck website.
Third phase Ghent Altarpiece: First results promise stunning outcome
Since May 2023, the third and final phase of the large-scale conservation-restoration campaign of the altarpiece of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) is ongoing. In recent months, the KIK-IRPA team have been removing non-original varnishes and have carried out a thorough examination of the paint layers underneath. Currently, following the advice of the international commission of experts, they have started removing 16th-century overpaints. Already the first results are breathtakingly beautiful.