Behind the Scenes

The exhibition showcases, for the first time, the work of the Israel Museum's conservators in action – processes usually performed far from the public eye. Displayed in the exhibition space are eight items from the Museum's collections; each has an interesting story to tell, discovered in the course of collaborative research on the items by curators and conservators.

Conservation aims to ensure the material integrity of pieces of cultural heritage. To achieve this goal, conservators follow ethical guidelines and adhere to the principles that guided the objects' production. The Museum's Conservation Department consists of six laboratories that handle the hundreds of thousands of items in the collection – archaeological finds, artworks, and ethnographic artifacts. Each lab specializes in different materials. The Conservation Department is the first and most comprehensive of its kind among Israeli museums, and its history as a leader in the field of conservation is rich and varied.

We invite you to follow the path embarked on by items from the moment they arrive at the Museum and until their display – a journey accompanied by designers, technical teams, and logistical teams, among others.

Every day, the conservators will leave the lab for a 15-minute conversation with visitors:

Mondays, Thursdays at 2:00 pm

Tuesdays at 5 pm

Please note: On Tuesday, March 3, the exhibition will not include real-time work by the conservators in the transparent lab

The Live Lab is the result of collaboration between the Israel Museum and the Heritage Ministry, which acts to develop and strengthen Israel's national heritage among the general public. The project expresses the joint mission of the two institutions: serving as a link in the chain that preserves cultural values and passes them on to the next generation.