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- 1. To reduce the museums’ carbon footprint, their activity must be reduced.
- See the image in its page
Do museums represent a danger to the planet? The question was not, of course, phrased in these terms at the ICOM France professional day which took place in Reims last September, and whose theme was "Thinking about the museum of tomorrow, degrowth in questions [1]." However, the choice of the first guest was not insignificant: the economist Serge Latouche began by pointing out that museums are relatively recent institutions and essentially Western. In other words, they do not necessarily respond to the heritage sensitivities of all cultures. Thus the African sculptures and masks "looted" by the French were destined to disappear rather than end up behind a glass case. No doubt, but is it regrettable that these objects are preserved today? The economist, who also seems to be a poet in his spare time, ultimately called for the advent of a "pluriversal" world, characterised by "diversality", or more simply, by dialogue between cultures. This theorist of degrowth in economics, who denounces overconsumption and the unlimited accumulation of material goods, emphasised the fundamental idea that he never ceases to repeat: infinite growth is incompatible with a finite planet. This is true for the economy, but what about culture?
In any case, this was the approach taken to the issue of limiting energy consumption in museums. How? By reducing the number of temporary exhibitions, by reducing the production of scenographic elements - reusable from one project to the next - or even by limiting the circulation of works. Should the collections also be reduced? The question was asked, in all seriousness. Should we also reduce the number of visitors? The question should be asked, without laughing. Because when a museum triumphantly announces a record attendance for its latest exhibition, we should spare a thought for the floods of visitors elbowing each other to try to contemplate the beauty of art for a few minutes, packed in front of the picture rails. Another proposal put forward during the day was to relax certain standards. Among the speakers, Anaïs Aguerre detailed the green protocol adopted by the Bizot Group [2] in 2024, whose recommendations have been followed by many museums; in particular, greater flexibility is needed for air conditioning temperature and humidity. Above all, the group wants to change minds by emphasising the role of museums in the face of the ecological crisis.
Climate change is undoubtedly one of the major threats of our time. But how much does the activity of museums weigh in comparison to that of multinationals and global industry? We would like to be able to compare the energy consumption of the Triangle Tower, currently under construction in Paris, with that of all French museums combined. Every effort counts, of course. Is it nevertheless shocking to assert that the mission - vital! - of a museum must take precedence over reducing its carbon footprint? The answer was not so obvious on 27 September; as the speeches went on, the collections appeared to be a burden, not unlike fossil fuels. The problem is the stock. Several speakers pointed out that museums are the only institutions into which objects are introduced from which nothing ever emerges. Apparently, it is a problem. Laurent Vedrine, director of the Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux, seemed overwhelmed by the 1.4 million or so items in his care, spread over three different locations, ranging from prehistoric flint to 20th-century tractors. The museum has a vast collection of agricultural equipment in its storerooms, the result of the collections of Georges-Henri Rivière, which were undertaken in the 20th century to preserve disappearing traditions and contemporary production. Equipment that today no longer interests anyone, according to the director, who dreams of setting up a low-tech workshop to restore to working order certain agricultural instruments preserved in series in the storerooms. Let’s hope that museums of folk art and tradition don’t have the same dreams.
Need we be reminded that curators have a mission... to conserve? Yet it is a profession they have chosen knowingly, working hard to achieve it. Of course, public collections in France are inalienable and imprescriptible, as Christelle Creff, head of the Museums of France department, pointed out... But "we will certainly have to think about it", she thought it best to qualify. Seizing the opportunity, Hélène Vassal - director of collections support at the Louvre Museum - mentioned the exhibition [3] "Les Aliénés" at the Mobilier National, devoted to pieces in the collection which, following the opinion of a commission, are no longer inalienable and can be destroyed, sold or even reused to recover their materials. “There are so many ideas and initiatives to consider, and we mustn’t stop ourselves from doing so”, insisted Hélène Vassal, recalling that the ten-yearly inventory in 2025 will have its share of unaccounted-for objects, ruined works or "sets that can no longer be used" and for which "possible decommissioning" or "disposal" must be considered. Not only does this constitute a very modest part of the collections, but the Mobilier national has a very special status, since it has been a place of heritage and contemporary creation since the 17th-century, and the sales it can make have nothing to do with those of museum works (see this article). As for Georges Magnier, director of the Reims museums responsible for concluding this congress, he expressed regret after summarising the various interventions of the day: "We may have been timid about the reduction of the collections [...] the question still arises". Especially since, in his words, curators are not infallible, "it is not very credible to think that we have never made a mistake in the enrichment of the collections".
Are today’s curators more far-sighted than their predecessors when it comes to deciding what to keep and what to throw in the bin (the green or the yellow one?)? In the 20th century, we would have gladly thrown out Pompier art, considered a pile of scabs in the worst possible taste. This is proof that what no longer fascinates the crowds at a given moment is not necessarily devoid of interest. Laurent Védrine has admitted as much: we no longer know what some of the agricultural tools kept in storage are used for; it is a memory that is being lost, so it is urgent that we gather the testimony of the last farmers who are likely to be able to provide information. At a time when agriculture is also one of the issues of climate change, this equipment is undoubtedly fully part of history and deserves its place in a museum.
Before acquiring other works, Christelle Creff, Laurent Vedrine and Hélène Vassal all emphasised the work that needed to be undertaken, first and foremost, on the existing collections; work that involves verification, restoration, research, and the Scientific and Cultural Project, which is considered essential for defining the direction of a museum.
But this work of familiarising oneself with the collections is not incompatible with their enrichment, quite the contrary. No, the arrival of new works is not a curse! However, the director of the Musée d’Aquitaine was pleased that there are "safeguards" for acquisitions, while Christelle Creff emphasised with some dismay that in 2022, 200,000 new items entered the collections [4]. In any case, she believes it is urgent to make the growth of collections even more selective. While no one disputes that a selection - which already exists - is indispensable, one regrets the lack of enthusiasm of the speakers on the morning of 27 September, who seemed to be bending under the weight of the objects entrusted to them. And one cannot help thinking of Pierre Rosenberg, who declared with a little more vigour: "a museum that does not buy is a museum that dies.".
Robert Blaizeau’s contribution in the afternoon proved more constructive with the suggestion of an interesting initiative: since the reserves are full, it would be necessary to reconsider the distribution of the collections between the museums and correct a territorial inequality by removing certain pieces from the reserves and depositing them in institutions that could show them and enhance their value. The director of the Rouen museums has also introduced an active policy of deposits in 2025: some 200 quality works are available to any interested museum.
Pierre Stépanoff, director of the Amiens museums, recalled the links that unite a museum and its region, then emphasised the way in which each of its activities are interlinked: the permanent collections must be part of the local area; the temporary exhibitions must be firmly rooted in the permanent collections; finally, there is no point in making acquisitions if they are not promoted, published and exhibited.
Indeed, research work on the collections is pointless if it does not result in a publication. However, in his conclusion, Georges Magnier suggested, among the possible reductions, that certain paper publications, which he considers too cumbersome, be dispensed with. "Are the collection catalogues intended to be printed, to be ultimately purchased by thirty libraries in France?." The question leaves one stunned. Does this mean that the quality of a book is determined by the number of readers? Perhaps we could be content with digital publications. Yes, but here’s the thing: digital is also energy-intensive.
Other curators have put forward more appealing proposals to reduce the carbon footprint of their museums, proposals which, before having an ecological interest, are primarily desirable for the enhancement of the collections. Robert Blaizeau affirmed the need to reduce the number of temporary exhibitions and to extend their duration. He is not the only one to defend this idea, and Mathieu Boncour of the Palais de Tokyo added that it is time to give up on a constantly changing venue. No, museums are not places of entertainment; they are part of the long term with "permanent" collections, made to be seen over and over again, contemplated, ruminated on and familiarised with. And rather than counting the number of visitors, the director of the Rouen museums suggested looking instead at the number of first-time visitors or the length of the visit in order to assess the success of a museum or the relevance of its offering.
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- 2. Eugène Fromentin (1820-1876)
The Land of Thirst, c. 1869
Oil on canvas - 103 x 143 cm
Paris, Musée d’Orsay
Photo: RMN-GP/H. Lewandowski - See the image in its page
This is one of the contradictions of museums, which seek, if not to be profitable, at least to draw in visitors, while wishing to reduce their activity to limit their carbon footprint. But in the end, is the democratisation of culture compatible with ecology? Wanting to make museums accessible to as many people as possible means increasing the number of visitors travelling by car or, even worse, by plane. No doubt the proposal to ban access to museums to all those who have not travelled using "soft mobility" will eventually emerge. As for the works, they too are being asked to find ecological means of travel (by bicycle?), otherwise some curators have already announced that they will no longer request loans for temporary exhibitions. We hope that these will not be pieces that are essential to the illustration of the subject. And we also hope that the paintings and sculptures sent throughout France by the Musée d’Orsay as part of its project "100 works tell the climate story" will travel in an eco-responsible manner... Among them, Manet’s The Lemon has been loaned to the Royal Château of Blois and placed opposite the former orangery ; "it bears witness to the thinking that took place during the Renaissance to preserve this fruit". It is not clear what the connection is between a 19th-century painting and the Renaissance. The Sunflowers, Petit Gennevilliers Garden by Gustave Caillebotte was sent to the Grenoble Museum and is accompanied by a commentary that also has little to do with the work, but has managed to include some buzzwords . "Sunflowers are renowned for their ability to grow in difficult conditions [...] thus illustrating resilience and perseverance." The most delightful choice is the painting by Eugène Fromentin, entitled The Land of Thirst (ill. 2) sent ... to Cognac.