Partner museum institutions

Museums hold collections whose provenance must be documented. They have laboratories, libraries and networks of researchers, and they welcome the public. Their voice is essential for raising awareness of the issues of trafficking and restitution.

Their cooperation with OIMAP makes it possible to harmonize acquisition, documentation and loan practices between countries.

Partner institutions make curators and restorers available for ad hoc opinions. These experts may be accredited by the Organization and listed in the directory of experts.

They are bound by the code of ethics, which notably forbids appraising a work in which one has a direct interest.

When an object is claimed by a State or a community, the holding museum is a central player. OIMAP offers a mediation that brings the parties together, examines the evidence and seeks an acceptable solution: restitution, long-term loan or joint study ownership.

Partner museums undertake to examine any documented request in good faith and not to conceal information about provenance.

Training cycles are organized for curators, registrars and documentalists. They cover provenance research, management of donations, international loans and verification of export documents.

Partner establishments host trainees from the OIMAP Academy, who thus discover varied practices from one country to another.

The exhibitions produced with partner museums raise public awareness of endangered heritage and of the solutions available to protect it. They show, for example, recovered works, famous forgeries or authentication techniques.

They travel from one country to another: the travelling exhibitions programme gives the details.