-BLOG- The museum may seem quiet at this time of year, but behind the scenes everyone is busy as bees. One of the events being prepared is the exhibition Mix Match Museum which will open on 18 April. The exhibition has been put together by the public who made an online selection from the collections of 6 Dutch museums.
Preparation
Artworks are taken out of the depot, condition checks are done, bases are assembled and painted, covers are ordered and artworks are packed for on-loan shipment. 
Conservation
Some artworks need to be conservated, such as Structurist work number 28, Red Wing by Charles Biederman. This work has been chosen by Corine Jacobs in her exhibition ‘Haaks, loodrecht en tegendraads’ ('Dead straight and against the grain'). Below is a photo report.
Photo obove: conservators Susanne Kensche and Nikki van Basten are placing the work Structurist work number 28, Red Wing on an easel to photograph it. They’re wearing gloves to protect the artwork.
This photo clearly shows that there is dust on the artwork. The whole artwork is thoroughly inspected and any damage is identified. These photos are stored in the archive.
Photographing the artwork allows the restorers to identify what is needed to make the artwork ‘exhibition-worthy’. Nikki is very carefully cleaning the surface, removing dust and other dirt.
After the surface is completely clean, some repair work is done to conservate the artwork. This photo shows Nikki retouching gaps or spots. This is very precise work because the spots are tiny and it difficult to find the exact blue which matches the artwork. With a microscope and a miniscule cotton bud Nikki treats all the spots. Once this is ready, the artwork can be taken to hang in the exhibition room.
Mix Match Museum team
April 2015