kikirpa.be

The Royal Institute for Artistic Heritage (KIK) is a federal scientific institution in Belgium that documents, studies and conserves Belgian cultural and artistic heritage. Its services include conservation and restoration of artworks, scientific analysis and dating techniques, photography and scientific imaging, and art-historical research.

Public institutions and owners of private collections in Belgium and abroad can request conservation, study and documentation of artworks and other heritage objects from the institute. It also collects, archives and publishes scientific research data, and runs BALaT, an online collection and knowledge portal that the institute describes as holding more than one million images.

The institute has conducted research and restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece (Het Lam Gods, 1432, by the Van Eyck brothers) since 2012, with the third and final phase covering 2023–2026. It is also a partner in the national Erfgoedtombola lottery, in which twelve Belgian heritage projects compete for restoration budgets, with public voting from 15 September to 15 November 2026.

Product: Conservation and restoration of artworks, scientific analysis and dating, photography and imaging, art-historical research, and the BALaT online collection portal.