About AGATO

The Decision Support Tool for museum professionals

The story of AGATO : where does the name AGATO come from?

The BRAIN-be network project: Art Technical Research and Preservation of Historical Mixed-Media ensembles: "Enclosed Gardens" ArtGarden (2017-2022) was a research project led by KIK-IRPA with several partners to help preserve complex and fragile heritage in mixed-medias, like the Enclosed Gardens of Malines. One of the outcomes of this project was to provide a computer-based management tool: AGATO.

AGATO or the "ArtGArden Decision Support Tool" aims at assessing a variety of mixed-media heritage objects, such as ethnographic and folk art objects, musical instruments, retables and relics, garments, furniture, manuscripts, etc. These objects are present in large numbers in many collections, abroad as well as in Belgium, like in the collections of the Federal Scientific Institutions (e.g. the Hall Gate of the Royal Museums of Art & History), the Treasure of the Cathedral and Diocesan Museum of Namur, the Museum Hof van Busleyden in Malines and in private collections.