More Flaws in Museums: There Are Galleries That Are Destroyed and Works of Art with ‘Fungus’
<p style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">The General Audit’s Office noted "lots of infrastructure damage", properties have moisture problems, to the point that "there are books in quarantine because they have fungus" and the ceilings of the Yrurtria House Museum "are endangering the integrity of the works." There are missing security cameras and smoke detectors.</span></p> <div> </div>
One of the objectives of the Ministry of Culture is "direct policy of conservation and stewardship of cultural heritage", however, the AGN detected in the museum's "moisture problems, moldy books and flags, missing smoke detectors in the halls of the museum archive and security cameras." Last week The Auditor.info had published from the same report, the observations described in relation to the non-registration of the historical items and loans for jobs that were never carried out.
In this part, and regarding the infrastructure deterioration of the museums, the watchdog said, for example, the National Museum of History "only has 30% of the building open", sensors and smoke alarms "do not cover all facilities and the moisture on the walls and ceilings has spread." They also found that there is a locked room with "quarantined books due to the existence of fungus" and another rooms containing a cabinet with "a lot of flags affected by fungus and microorganisms."
Of the Yrurtria House Museum, the auditors stated that "the building has humidity problems and a marked deterioration of plaster and paint." In addition, they stated that "the wooden structure in the gallery was found partially destroyed, jeopardizing the integrity of the exhibits."
The agency added that Sarmiento Historical Museum "does not have sensors and smoke alarms in critical areas such as the archive center and were backup photographic, museum and library material is stored." The AGN wrote the report based on data from 2008 and the first half of 2009 and indicated that in most museums there is a lack of security, and that cameras and motion sensors don’t cover the entire Museum."
Furthermore, the auditors also noted that there is a "limited appointment of staff in areas vital to the preservation, conservation, classification, and registration of cultural property" and argued that it "affects the fulfillment of the objectives and planning of museums." For example, according to the survey made by the AGN in the Mitre Museum "there is no proper division of labor" because the administrative staff also works in the area of cultural extension (print and broadcast).
In relation to property, the Audit revealed that the National Print Museum occupies a place which was ceded by the National Library, which owns the property and "the registered ownership of the land." Authorization of use "expired in November 2009," however, until the time of the audit, had not formalized the extension of the loan.
Finally, on the domain of the spaces of the Museum of the Cabildo of Buenos Aires, the Historical Sarmiento, Yrurtria House Museum, Fine Arts, and the National Museum of History, the AGN said "the Federal Government has public and peaceful possession" of the buildings in which they are located but there is no "legal title registered with their name."