Confined but cultivated!

In one month, virtual tours of the museums participating in the Behind The Museum project exploded. This success is a real breath of fresh air in terms of visibility for the first nine partner museums which must currently keep their doors closed. Over the past thirty days, these virtual routes have been viewed by more than 7,500 visitors and have appeared on social networks some 13,500 times! Back on an initiative that is timely.

Since September 2019, the associations Museums and Society in Wallonia, federation of Walloon museums, and Meta-Morphosis which works to preserve the memory of the tangible and intangible heritage, have started a virtuous partnership: promoting Walloon museums, part of their heritage collections and trades useful for their preservation.
A first establishment, the International Carnival and Mask Museum of Binche, was digitized in September followed in February by the Aquarium Museum of the University of Liège, digitized before it was put into operation.
As the museums were empty during confinement, the pace of digitization accelerated: the Steam Brewery of Pipaix and the Folklore and Imaginary Museum of Tournai will be digitized in March, followed in April by the Strawberry Museum in Wépion , TAMAT, the Fine Arts Museum of Tournai, the Royal Museum of Mariemont as well as the Medieval Mosan Heritage House of Dinant.

While allowing the preservation of the Walloon heritage through digitization, the project highlights establishments of all sizes and with very varied collections, ranging from fine arts to contemporary art through archeology.
It also responds to many current challenges: promoting exhibitions that have been closed or closed because of the Covid19 and spaces condemned for work or demolition.
It promotes spaces inaccessible to the public (reserves, offices, restoration workshop, etc.) as well as to people with specific needs.
Finally, for institutions lacking funding or human resources, Behind The Museum relays their actions to the Belgian and international public.

In addition to the digitization of virtual routes, the first part of Behind The Museum, the two associations record unique content in the form of interviews to complete the virtual tours.
Museums can then address various issues and describe the functioning of their institution.
At the same time, the Meta-Morphosis association will generalize the artistic shots of objects or collectibles with a particular historical charge to integrate them into its concept entitled "The Collection" (see photo).

The project obviously does not stop there.
Other museums are already planned.
A website dedicated to Behind The Museum is also in preparation, which will bring together the content produced in each museum using a map of Wallonia.

Links virtual tours

Museum of the Liège Aquarium
Pipaix Steam Brewery
Folklore and Imaginary Museum
Strawberry Museum
Tapestry and Textile Arts Museum
Museum of Fine Arts of Tournai
Mosan Medieval Heritage Museum
Binche Mask Museum

Légendes photos :

Aquarium Liege.jpeg : extrait de la numérisation de l'Aquarium Museum de Liège, avant les travaux qui débuteront prochainement.
LionOk LIGHT.jpg : tête de lion extraite de LA COLLECTION by Meta-Morphosis, collection de l'Aquarium Museum de Liège. ©Meta-Morphosis
Patte1OK Light : patte de rhinocéros extraite de LA COLLECTION by Meta-Morphosis, collection de l'Aquarium Museum de Liège. ©Meta-Morphosis