The Brest Museum of Fine Arts, which was to reopen on February 1 after a temporary closure, will finally remain closed for four years. This extension was precipitated by the discovery, in January, of mold on 18 works during annual maintenance.
Built in 1968, the building suffers from known structural defects. Its concrete structure, not very conducive to good ventilation, has favored the proliferation of bacteria since 2014. These disorders had been partially treated in 2019, without being completely resolved.
A new conservation center is to be created in Brest by 2026, with a transfer of the collections initially planned for 2029, in parallel to the renovation of the museum. The current situation has led to a revision of the calendar without it really understanding its merits.
Pending the move of 15,000 works from the collection, including nabis and abstract paintings, treatment operations are implemented in order to stop contamination: ventilation, dehumidification and aspiration.
Canvases won from their rider to be analyzed and cleaned if necessary.
© Musée des Beaux-Arts de Brest
No specific information has been communicated as to the magnitude of future work, whether rehabilitation or reconstruction. “He will have to be the subject of heavy work anyway”said François Cuillandre, president of Brest Métropole, in Ouest-France.
The Brest case is not isolated. “There are eight museums in Denmark that have been affected by these same phenomena, and it is clearly climate change that is questioned today”said Sophie Lessard in Le Figaro.
