The Registrar profession originated in the mid-20th century in the United States, but it was only in the last few decades that it became commonly employed in museums and exhibition centers.
In Italy, however, this profession has received legislative recognition from the Italian Ministry of Culture only last July.
A registar must follow every phase of the loan “in&out” for the entity for which they work, which could also be a specific event, for example, a major exhibition.
The role of the registrar requires a thorough knowledge of everything related to the loan of a work of art, starting from the ability to infer from a Condition Report the peculiarities of every artwork, in order not only to plan a suitable transport but also provide relevant information for the drafting of an insurance contract.
The registrar must also oversee the chronogram and ensure that timing is respected, coordinating thus all the professionals involved in the project.
A registrar should be trained to use scientific analyses. For example, they should know that it is best to require a Condition Report with UV fluorescence images to document the superficial layers of the artworks, accompanied by microphotographs of the “weakest” areas, i.e. those that could be compromised both by transportation and by the exhibition settings, or Xrays images that focus on the joints of certain areas of the works, e.g. the boards constituting ancient panels.
This information will be useful in all phases of transport and control. Knowledge of the potential of these diagnostic investigations will allow the registrar to be timely in documenting any damage caused by transportation and/or degradation caused by inadequate conservation during the exhibition period.
A suitable diagnostic in “in&out” could make loans even more sustainable, as it could be decisive between a simple maintenance request and the need for actual restorations.
We hope, therefore, that the figure of the registrar will become increasingly known and employed.
Art-Test can offer registrar services, as it has personnel trained in this specific field. Do not hesitate to ask for more information.
