PARIS—AXA ART and le Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections (CRCC) of Paris announce the start of a new collaborative project. CRCC has received an AXA ART Research Grant to examine preventive measures to protect fine art photography and introduce an improved device to monitor the impact of light on sensitive art objects, including photographs, prints, drawings, and watercolors.

As a result of this collaboration, a new generation of dosimeters conceived by the CRCC will be introduced into the market and distributed by an archival supply retailer. Dosimeters are designed to estimate the amount of light on photographs while on display and to indicate overexposure. AXA ART will make the device available to its clients and partners.

Dr. Ulrich Guntram, CEO of the AXA ART Group, noted, ‘Photography represents a major and growing category of fine art. Our partnership with the Research Centre for the Conservation of Collections (CRCC) seeks to arm collectors and institutions with the most up-to-date methods to protect their photographic collections from environmental damage in order to safeguard the value”.

Professor Bertrand Lavedrine, Director at the le Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des collections (CRCC) remarked, “The significant increase in collecting photography by private and institutional collectors points to the public’s growing interest in this art form. We are pleased to work alongside a global art insurance partner with a strong commitment to preserving this important art form”.

Connoisseurs of fine art photography appreciate not only its beauty but also its importance in providing a visual record of geopolitical events and trends, capturing intimate family portraits, and documenting the history of our time. The goal of the AXA ART/CRCC collaboration is to make collectors more knowledgeable about photography’s fragile nature and to help explore solutions to address its unique preservation issues.

AXA ART together with the CRCC will make available the results of the research findings to support collectors seeking to safeguard their photographic collections. Information on preventive maintenance techniques will be produced and disseminated to private collectors and institutions through a series of newsletters, lectures and exhibitions.

AXA ART is a leading global art insurance specialist. As part of its contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage, the company supports research in conservation through the framework of the AXA ART Research Grant. This grant is awarded for scientific studies that promise long-term contributions to preserving cultural assets.  The AXA ART Conservation Research Project in conjunction with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art was the forerunner of the global AXA ART Research Grant. The initial global grant was made to the Vitra Museum in Germany and focused on the study of the material qualities and life expectancy of design objects made of plastic.  The second project, The Tate AXA ART Modern Paints Project, focused on the material qualities and aging of acrylic paints.

The CRCC is a unit of the CNRS (Paris, France), associating the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the National Museum of Natural History. It is dedicated to the research of the preservation of cultural assets in museums, libraries, media libraries, and archives. It also coordinates an international project on the preservation of contemporary art. It is one of the rare research laboratories that works on the preservation of photographs in Europe. Its benchmark publications are available in English, French, and Spanish. For more information visit: http://www.crcc.cnrs.fr/

Of note: in the late 1990’s the CRCC conceived photosensitive paper strips called Lightcheck U® that were placed photographs while on display.  The device changed colour depending on the amount of exposed light, thus allowing for an assessment of the lighting conditions. Unfortunately, these strips are no longer available today.