Rare mold contaminates twelve museums in Denmark

Last March, the Brest Museum had to close due to the discovery of molds on certain works. In Denmark, twelve museums are affected by the same phenomenon: an “epidemic” of mushrooms affecting in particular the paintings of the golden age, according to The Guardian. L’Aspergillus Section Restrictia very resistant fungus that proliferates in dry environments, has immersed itself in twelve Danish museums, including the National Museum of Denmark and the Skagen Museum.

“This is a fairly serious problem, because these fungi deteriorate the objects and materials of the museums, decimate enzymes and assets, which damages them”explained Camilla Jul Bastholm, responsible for the conservation and storage of collections at the National Museum of Denmark, “It is also common in churches, archives and libraries” she adds.

But mold also presents risks to the health of visitors and staff, which could prevent the exposure of the objects concerned. “If you have a museum collection that may have a health danger, you cannot show it”she said. “The collection then becomes a dead resource for museums. »» The National Museum of Denmark has decided to transfer 116,000 linear meters of artefacts to a new warehouse in order to combat mold.

Preliminary studies are underway in 150 other cultural sites in Denmark to determine if mold is also present. The Danish Museum Association said it awaited the results of additional research at the end of the year to decide how to deal with the problem.