This is how the world’s leading museums buy works of art

Following the irregularities detected by the Court of Accounts in the acquisitions of works by the Reina Sofía Museum in the 2015 and 2016 financial years, in which irregularities such as the lack of independent appraisals or the absence of justifying reports were observed, we wanted to know what the protocol followed by museums in countries such as France, Germany or the United States. Controls by higher bodies and requirements in administrative procedures are the common norm in the different protocols. By Juan Pedro Quiñonero The French model: a very rigid protocol that involves several ministries The purchase of works of art in France’s national museums is regulated by very strict administrative protocols, at various consultative and collegiate levels, prior to any acquisition. The purchases of all French museums that have the status of Public Establishment must be approved by a first consultative commission, made up of representatives of the Ministry of Culture and/or private personalities appointed by the State. When the price of possible acquisitions reaches considerable levels, the Ministry of Economy may intervene at its discretion. Related News standard No Manuel Borja-Villel will not stand for re-election as director of the Reina Sofía Natividad Pulido opinion No EDITORIALS New airs for the Reina Sofía Editorial ABC After that first government approval, all purchases must be approved, in second instance, by another committee of which members of the management team of each museum are part. In national museums that have the status of national competition service, any new acquisition must be approved by thematic committees, specially appointed for each work in particular. Regional museums still have private commissions, representing each institution. The purchase price of each new work of art can be the subject of discussion, not always easy, between the museum authorities and the Ministries of Economy and Culture. Occasionally, the purchase of a work of art has provoked controversies of various kinds. The political and administrative resources of the State, at the same time, make it possible to obtain very competitive prices, when the acquisitions do not have the generous aid of patrons ready to contribute large sums, in exchange for substantial tax advantages. By Javier Ansorena The protocol of the MoMA in New York The curators of each department propose works for their acquisition for the collection, either by purchase, donation or other forms. There is an acquisitions committee for each of the museum’s six departments, and the committee is appointed by the Board of Trustees, which is the museum’s Board of Trustees. Curators must justify the importance of each work, its relationship to the collection, and its role in the museum’s mission. The purchase proposal must be approved by the director and by the Committee. There are exceptions for work of low value, which is valid with the approval of the director and the president of the Committee. The committees, by the way, meet several times a year to discuss acquisitions. By Rosalía Sánchez German protocol: control and coordination The acquisition of new pieces by German museums complies with the document ‘Sustainable collecting: a guide to collecting and managing museum assets’, from the Federation of German Museums, to which belong to more than a thousand institutions. This binding document establishes the concept of collection, from which the acquisition criteria are built in each case, whether purchase or donation, and based on pillars such as the history of each museum. It also includes the process and documentation requirements of the acquisitions or sale of works by museums, as well as the strategies for expanding or reducing funds. “The collection strategy identifies gaps and ways to close them,” the text states. “In principle, all those who work in the museum must be aware that there are imprints, interpretations and individual preferences”, which is why it establishes a necessary “formalization of the collection activity, responsible consideration when collecting and making transparent and understandable presentations » of each of the acquisitions. “Efforts to coordinate with museums in the region or comparable collections” are also called for on acquisitions, with the aim of “developing a clear profile and establishing priorities” jointly. It also obliges to periodically review the collection strategy and update the collection concept, which must be made public. MORE INFORMATION news Si Borja-Villel shields his trusted team at the Reina Sofía Museum news Si Borja-Villel’s management at the Reina Sofía, in the spotlight news Si Manuel Borja-Villel, director of the Reina Sofía «in fraud of law» In its chapter 3.3 it indicates that the criteria and objectives of the acquisitions must be established in writing and updated regularly. Each acquisition must respond to criteria of area, value for the theme of the museum, historical value, representativeness, utility to the collection and social or spiritual significance, in addition to other aspects such as its suitability for presentation in exhibitions, scientific research or history of the object. . And each purchase must respond to a “proportionality of effort” that includes conservation.