denkmal & MUTEC 2022: Professionals from the World of Cultural Heritage Are Invited to Leipzig
International Trade Fair Duo Celebrates its Comeback After the COVID-19 Break
Following the cancellation of the trade fair duo two years ago because of the pandemic, the long-awaited 2022 edition of denkmal and MUTEC is ready to open. Europe's leading trade fair for conservation, restoration and old building renovation is returning at full strength together with the international trade fair for museum and exhibition technology. From 24 to 26 November 2022, a total of 473 exhibitors from 17 countries will be presenting their products and services to visitors and there will be 150 events to choose from at the extensive educational conference. Together, denkmal and MUTEC offer a trade fair experience unparalleled anywhere in Europe – one that is dedicated to all aspects of preservation and transmission of cultural heritage.
"Everyone is looking forward so much to denkmal and MUTEC this year – not just us as the organisers but also our many exhibitors, partners and visitors. We have so much to catch up on when it comes to personally exchanging information and experiencing tradition and innovation close up. The excitement in the air clearly shows how highly regarded denkmal and MUTEC rightly are in the heritage and museum sectors. We're looking forward to three busy days at the trade fairs,” explains Markus Geisenberger, Managing Director of Leipziger Messe.
Sustainable Heritage Preservation for More Climate Protection
The interconnected topics of climate protection and sustainability will play a central role at the denkmal trade fair. Sustainable construction is becoming ever more important for ecological and economic reasons. By definition, the preservation and restoration of historical monuments is climate-friendly and sustainable because it is essentially all about taking appropriate measures to conserve and continue using existing buildings. At denkmal, the full expertise of the industry will be on display, ranging from systems manufacturers and producers of ecological building materials to providers of insulation solutions, sustainable flooring and paints. Companies such as Attenberger Bodenziegel, Beeck’sche Farbwerke, KEIMFARBEN, Kreidezeit Naturfarben, Kremer Pigmente, Remmers, Xella, Zahna Fliesen and Zement- und Kalkwerke Otterbein will all be attending. Once again, the Lehmbau Trade Fair, specialising in loam as an eco-friendly building material, will take place as part of denkmal.
Climate protection will also be a focus of the denkmal conference programme. The conference programme will address the question of how climate change can affect monuments as well as offer a look at the significant contribution existing buildings can make to climate protection. Contributors to the high-profile events at the conference will include Europa Nostra, the German UNESCO Commission, ICOMOS Germany, the German National Committee for Historic Preservation (DNK) and the Fraunhofer Information Centre for Regional Planning and Building Construction (Fraunhofer IRB).
Other topics on the conference programme cover conservation outreach, industrial culture, immaterial cultural heritage and the acquisition of young talent to work in the industry. Furthermore, there are numerous opportunities to acquire specific expertise or deepen existing knowledge. There are more than 80 accredited training sessions for architects, for example. "The denkmal conference programme offers concentrated expertise at just one venue for all kinds of different professions. It is rightly seen as the most comprehensive educational event in the entire industry and will this year once again be covering a huge range of topics", says Mariella Riedel, Project Director of denkmal and MUTEC.
Restoration and Craftsmanship: Protecting Cultural Heritage in Practice
Cultural heritage buildings cannot be preserved without the work of restorers and skilled tradespeople. Working on historical buildings requires specialist professional knowledge and skills. At denkmal, companies from nearly all the significant trades will be exhibiting and demonstrating their craftsmanship in "live workshops". There will be generalist conservation companies as well as painters, stone masons, stucco plasterers, metal workers, blacksmiths, carpenters and joiners. Companies such as Bennert, Glashütte Lamberts, Holzmanufaktur Rottweil, Kramp & Kramp, Metalldrückerei Thomas Müller, Nüthen Restaurierungen and Paul Lorenz will have exhibition stands. Craftspeople looking for the right tools will find them at the leading supplier Deffner & Johann.
Restorers with an academic background as well as craftspeople working in restoration will offer insights into the impressive range of activities they are involved in. Furthermore, the most significant associations for both of these professional groups, the Umbrella Association of Craft Restorers (DRH) and the Association of Restorers (VDR), will be staging joint activities to show their unity. The VDR will be offering a special highlight for denkmal visitors by giving them the opportunity to see the cultural heritage roll-off container belonging to the Cologne Emergency Association for Archives and Libraries (Kölner Notfallverbund).
Preserving the Future at denkmal: Features for the Next Generation of Craftspeople
At denkmal, there will be plenty of opportunity for the urgently needed next generation of skilled craftspeople to discover their talents by trying out trades themselves at the "live workshops". Professionals from all kinds of trades will be at denkmal to offer personal support to interested young newcomers to the industry. In addition, institutions providing practical training, academic courses and further education will be offering information together with training centres.
MUTEC: Wide Range of Exhibiting Companies and Three New Areas
MUTEC boasts a record number of exhibitors this year and will welcome companies from 13 countries. Professional visitors can find out about numerous innovations and solutions relating to all aspects of cultural heritage preservation and transmission. The spectrum ranges from innovations in buildings and technology and impressive ways of designing exhibitions to new methods of using media to present content and exhibits. MUTEC also boasts a wide range of offerings on the topics of visitor services and management of collections and cultural institutions. Furthermore, services and products specially designed for archives, depots and libraries also play a significant role.
Well-known companies exhibiting at MUTEC 2022 include AlfaVision, Axess, Axiell, Beckerbillett, Combase, die InformationsGesellschaft, ERCO Leuchten, Giant Monkey, Image Access, heddier electronic, Ljusdesign Gobo & Highlight, MEDER CommTech, SPX-Lighting, United Screens, VST and Zeutschel. The Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) and the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) in Berlin will also be exhibiting at MUTEC.
This year, three new exhibition areas will be celebrating their premiere at MUTEC. In collaboration with the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT), the area for staging technology and equipment will be aimed mainly at visitor target groups from the theatre and stage. A second new area at MUTEC is that of museum merchandising. Here, trade visitors will find companies offering products and content on all aspects of museum shops. The third new area addresses the subject of accessibility. Thankfully, this has tremendously increased in significance in the last few years. At MUTEC, visitors can learn about innovations that help to improve inclusivity in cultural institutions.
MUTEC Conference Offers Thrilling Inspiration and Expert Knowledge
MUTEC provides the ideal setting for operators and employees of cultural enterprises to learn about new practical solutions and acquire useful expertise at the conference. The MUTEC Forum is at the heart of the conference programme and will feature thematic modules on various focal topics on all three days of the trade fair. On the topic of "Safety", there will be a high-profile discussion panel under the moderation of Dr Alke Dohrmann from SiLK (SicherheitsLeitfaden Kulturgut), while Markus Helle, Editor-in-Chief of HIGHLIGHT, will be contributing his expertise to the thematic module on "Lighting". The BHT will offer a session on event technology, the Association for Exhibition Design (VerA) will address "Change of Perspective" and ICOM Germany is also contributing an event on the topic of "Preservation". Having already agreed on a cooperation between MUTEC and ICOM Germany for 2020, this collaboration can now finally be realised.
In addition, seminars and workshops will take place on topics such as integrated sustainability in museums, fundraising, depot planning and preventive conservation using modern safety technology. At the numerous lectures held by MUTEC exhibitors, visitors can be inspired by new ideas for their own daily tasks or deepen their knowledge of various subjects.