Upcycling in the Museum

Circular Economy in the Museum

As part of the upcycling project, the Lucerne Museum transformed the 'Global Happiness' exhibition by Helvetas so that the materials used could be reused for new exhibitions.

We documented this process and compiled the knowledge gained for other museums, their exhibitions and future upcycling projects. This project provides the Swiss museum landscape with a practical example to learn from and offers concrete assistance for similar initiatives.

Materials for Your Upcycling Journey

To support you in your own upcycling projects, we offer the following materials available for download:

Inspiration & Experiences from Sustainability Practice

In addition to the materials, we offer you in-depth insights into various approaches to upcycling in the museum sector. In four interviews, experts from different institutions share their experiences, challenges, and insights. You can find the conversations collected in our blog posts.

• Sustainable Exhibition: How Museums Rethink Upcycling, with Muriel Utinger and Tanja Waring from Museum Lucerne
• Careful Use of Resources – Exhibiting at the Hermann Hesse Museum Montagnola, with Marcel Henry from the Museo Hermann Hesse Montagnola
• Reusing from Conviction, with Philippe Berchier from the Musée Gruérien
• “Unless You Do It” – A Conversation on Upcycling, with Elisabeth Abgottspon from the Ortsmuseum Küsnacht

Project Partners:  Museum Lucerne, Helvetas

Financial Partners: Stiftung Mercator Schweiz

Our Role: Process Support, Communication