Norway's National Museum stores a copy of its entire collection in the permafrost in arctic Svalbard

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


Norway's National Museum stores a copy of its entire collection in the permafrost in arctic Svalbard
Entrance to the Arctic World Archive's vault in Svalbard. Photo: The National Museum/Vidar Ibenfeldt.



OSLO.- Deep inside a mountain in the arctic Svalbard archipelago, some of the most important items of the world’s memory are preserved in the permafrost. The Arctic World Archive is situated in a former coal mine outside Longyearbyen, in conditions that are optimal for long term data storage.

In order to keep its invaluable artworks safe for the future, the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Norway has deposited a copy of its entire collection of 400,000 objects in the Arctic World Archive's vault. The National Museum’s world class collection includes icons such as Edvard Munch’s The Scream, as well as key works of Nordic and international art, architecture and design. Copies of the works are now safely stored on plastic film rolls that have a lifespan of at least 500 years.

The National Museum made the deposit in Svalbard on 21 October, along with organizations like Unicef.




- In the National Museum’s collection we have works from the Antiquity up until today. We are working with the same perspective into the future. The collection not only belongs to us, but also to future generations. Now that we are storing a copy of our entire collection in the Arctic World Archive, we know that the works will be safe for many centuries, says Karin Hindsbo, Director of the National Museum.

The National Museum also made a deposit of high resolution images of three specially selected female artists: Harriet Backer, Britta Marakatt-Labba, and Eline Mugaas. Harriet Backer (1845-1932) was one of the foremost painters in Norway in the Nineteenth Century, and 2020 marks the 175th anniversary of her birth. Britta Marakatt-Labba (1951) is a Samí artist, whose embroidered textiles depicting the cultural and political history of the indigenous peoples in the Nordics has received international interest in recent years. Eline Mugaas (1969) has been a key artist in Norway since the late 1990’s.

The Arctic World Archive is run by the Norwegian company Piql, who has also developed the unique storage method. The storage technology piqlFilm is currently the safest and most durable data carrier in the world. It does not require energy and is designed to guarantee future accessibility, as well as keeping the data safe from cyber attacks.

Other institutions that store its data in the AWA include the Vatican Library, Sweden’s Moderna Museet, and the open source software platform Github.

The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design opens in 2021. With its new building the National Museum will be the largest art museum in the Nordics. The collection contains 400,000 objects ranging from the antiquity to the present day and includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, textiles, furniture and architectural models.










Today's News

October 31, 2020

Exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of Giambattista Tiepolo's death

Remarkable records of Joni Mitchell's changes

Geta Brătescu is celebrated in two special presentations in Zurich this autumn

Christie's unveils the collection of Barbara Allen de Kwiatkowski, muse to Andy Warhol

Hindman's Western Paintings and Sculpture auction sets multiple new world auction records

Explore the incredible breadth of The Met's photography collection through three exhibitions now on view

Exhibition presents works made by Francesca Woodman in New York from 1979-80

Enzo Mari, industrial designer who kept things simple, dies at 88

Heritage Auctions announces the first-ever sale of 'Game of Thrones' storyboards and conceptual paintings

Rijksmuseum opens major exhibition of leading Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken

Galerie Max Hetzler exhibits new and recent paintings, drawings and sculptures by Glenn Brown

Aperture announces Zora J Murff as the recipient of the inaugural Next Step Award

Jan Van Imschoot presents a new series of restyled still lifes at Galerie Templon

Fontaine's Auction Gallery to be across-the-board sale Nov. 14

Yes, we liked the Berkshires shows. Here's $2 million.

Norway's National Museum stores a copy of its entire collection in the permafrost in arctic Svalbard

Six U.S. museums receive Art Dealers Association of America Foundation grants

Center for Maine Contemporary Art appoints new Executive Director + Chief Curator

The Western Wall, Salvador Dalí's only rendition of a holy site, heads to auction

The San Francisco Symphony plunges into a new world

Taft Museum of Art announces $10.7 million capital campaign

With morbid humour, Viennese look death in the eye

Socially distanced samba seeks to revive lost bliss in Brazil

London's Pax Romana presents fine antiquities, ancient art, jewellery and weaponry, Nov. 8 & 15

The Benefits of Learning About Plumbers Toronto Midtown

Why Kids Love to Learn to Paint & Draw with Online Art Classes

Apron Front vs. Farmhouse Sinks




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful