Guimet research plan 2026 2030

Part 2 → The Villa Guimet research tools resources and partnerships

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Documentation policy

The museum ' s documentary policy is anchored in the current archaeological

research carried out from Afghanistan to Japan via Central Asia , China and Korea ,

and from India to Southeast Asia , in collaboration with institutions such as the École

française d ' Extrême - Orient . The acquisitions follow the particularities and strengths

of each conservation section , such as the art of printmaking and illustrated books

in Japan , or Indian miniatures , Buddhist and Hindu iconography , painting and

decorative arts from these countries , as well as research on Central Asia , particularly

around Afghanistan and China . The Chinese , Japanese and Korean ceramics

collections , the textile collections , photography , are also the subject of numerous

publications . The museum is also committed to a policy of acquiring modern and

contemporary art . It is essential to of fer a selection of recent and relevant works on

these disciplines , with a focus on interdisciplinary research .

Particular attention is paid to recent and interdisciplinary publications , related

to major cultural areas , visual arts and historical contexts . Transversal themes such

as religions and philosophies – the founding disciplines of the museum ' s identity

– represented in statuary and ritual objects , remain at the heart of the enrichments .

The rise of publications illustrated in colour has increased interest in exhibition

catalogues , which are essential for deepening the study of works and collections

and offering comparative perspectives . Despite increasing digitization , these

exhibition catalogues remain essential references .

Thus , the museum ' s documentary policy is constantly adapting , combining strategic

acquisitions , editorial monitoring and in - depth analysis of objects , in order to ensure

a better understanding and optimal enhancement of Asian heritage .

Towards dematerialized

documentation

for broader sharing

The complete dematerialization of the work f iles , which will be part of this documentary

policy , will allow remote accessibility , cross - research and simultaneity in the

consultation of data . But digitization will above all promote the enrichment of data ,

without limitation of space and the sharing of documentation on the collections .

This tool will thus open up the f ield of possibilities , which paper does not allow .

Of course , a study on the composition of the f iles , the methods of enrichment and

the mode of organization and consultation of digital substitutes will have to be

carried out in detail in order to provide the necessary resources to link each digitized

work file to the work on which it depends within the museum collections

management system and to carry out relevant indexing

In addition the complete digitisation of the collection of work f iles can be carried

out within a reasonable time in relation to the project the f iles being generally made

up of A4 sheets and at a relatively low cost Paper f iles will therefore be outsourced

to the museum s reserve with possible derogatory consultation

The integration of artif icial intelligence AI into this dematerialization process will

make it possible to optimize the processing and indexing of 65 000 f iles of digitized

works These tools trained by the documentalists will effectively automate

the classification and structuring of data accelerating their integration into

the database Thanks to advanced text and image recognition algorithms they will

facilitate the search identif ication indexing of information and the evaluation of its

communicability This evolution represents a major challenge for museum

institutions which must combine preservation accessibility to researchers and

the general public and the valorization of data

This necessary and fundamental dematerialization of work f iles is now at the heart

of the overall research strategy

Enhancement

of the collection

The documentary policy of the Villa Guimet is based on four complementary axes .

A f irst aspect is to continue to enrich the heritage collections by monitoring sales

and donations – particularly in vernacular languages .

The second involves enriching the documentary offer for funds dedicated to

research through editorial monitoring both on publishing houses and on the

scientif ic production of listed researchers or laboratories .

The third axis of this policy consists of the institution ' s ability to adapt , which must

support the evolution of research by participating in conferences , study days and

other scientif ic events in order to establish relationships of trust with the key players

in production .

Finally , at a time when the publishing of fer is very broad , cooperation with other

libraries ( Collège de France , BULAC , EFEO , research centers on Asia ) seems

essential to cover the entire f ield as well as possible ( complementarity of acquisitions ,

sharing of resources or that of acquisition lists ) . It will also be important to sign

agreements for the sharing of digital resources at the French and foreign levels .

Thus , a clear documentary policy , relevant acquisitions , cataloguing and the rapid

availability of monographs and periodicals essential to daily life , require a suf f icient

number of staf f , trained and specialized in vernacular languages and aware of the

stakes of research .

With regard to the enrichment of the archives ' holdings , acquisitions and exhibitions

in contemporary art offer the unique opportunity to meet the artists , their

benef iciaries or those responsible for their works , as well as historians and critics

who have studied their work ( or that of related artists ) , providing a direct

understanding of the works and their context .

This is why , as part of a policy of enriching the archives of the Villa Guimet , the

museum takes advantage of acquisitions and exhibitions to identify , collect and

produce archives in various forms ( texts , images , videos ) , in order to document and

preserve the memory of the works .

Thus , this approach seeks to preserve an immaterial memory of the works ,

by including everything about the artists , their works and their creative context .

The objective is to analyze these dynamics , identify their sources of inspiration

and understand the inf luence they exert on their environment .