FACING FINANCIAL WOES, HISTORIC BELGIAN MUSEUM USES CLING WRAP TO PROTECT ARTWORKS FROM RAIN

The roof of Belgium’s historic Cinquantenaire Museum is in such poor condition that the staff has resorted to wrapping artworks in a type of cling wrap to prevent damage, The Telegraph reports.

“There is water infiltration and as of today a pigeon has started flying around the room,” Ann Calluy, a spokesperson for the museum, said. She stated that the area most at risk is the building’s first floor.

Not only are the priceless ancient artifacts at risk—the museum’s collection includes statues from Easter Island, Roman mosaics, and Egyptian sarcophagi— safety concerns have arisen for the staff as well. When it rains, water pouring into the building has collected in the cellar and has made navigating staircases in the museum treacherous.

Head minister for Belgium’s building authority, Laurent Vrijdaghs, said that several of Belgian’s royal museums are in dire need of repair. The authority declared the situation an emergency. After spending forty-five million dollars on repairs in the royal museums, an estimated twenty-two million is still needed for renovations. Crisis talks focused on the Cinquantenaire Museum will be held this week.

With seven of the museum’s galleries closed for renovations, only the exhibition titled “Sarcophagi” and the galleries of antiquity remain open to the public.