Two colleagues of the Centraal Museum (CM), Errol van de Werdt (director Collections & Research) and Renger de Bruin (curator for Utrecht History) visited Malta to talk about proceeding museum contacts in the framework of European Capital of Cultural 2018. Maltese counterparts of Heritage Malta (HM) like Martin Spiteri, Pierre Bonello and Luisana d’Amato, whom they know from earlier meetings both in Malta and Utrecht, welcomed them on the island. Errol and Renger visited several museums and sites: the Archaeological Museum and the Armory in Valetta, the Hypogeum and the Hagar Quim temples, as well as the well equipped laboratories of HM.
The scientific expertise at HM and the experience of CM in collection policies and management (visits to the depot Utrecht impressed Maltese colleagues highly) offer possibilities for knowledge exchange. Errol gave a presentation for the HM staff on several museological issues. His lecture was titled “from collection policies and strategies to implementation, the Centraal Museum case” Most debate arose from the deaccessment topic (removing objects from a museum collection). Renger gave a presentation at the University of Malta on the historical background of Utrecht art in the 16th and 17th centuries, related to the current Bloemaert exhibition.
For exchange of exhibitions various possibilities exist. Malta is interested in topics like the Leidsche Rijn excavations, the Teutonic Orde, the Utrecht Caravaggists and Rietveld. HM has important and attractive collections like prehistoric temples, the Roman period, the Knights of St. John and also Caravaggists. From the museological point of view there is a special interest in the field of collecting/deaccessioning, accessibility of collections and the case of central storage for collections.
De Bruin and Van der Werdt met also with David Felice, who coordinates the nomination of Valletta for 2018. He confirmed his interest for Utrecht as the Dutch candidate for 2018 in view of the cultural relations that have been built during the last years. Together we'll move onwards!
