The Art Institute of Chicago opts for IP surveillance integrated with the museum's aesthetics

This prestigious art institution has selected several models of Axis Communications network cameras, which are managed with Honeywell's Digital Video Manager software and are discreetly integrated into the rooms of this museum to ensure the safety of visitors and the museum's extensive collection.

Located on central Michigan Avenue in Chicago, in front of the famous lake, he Art Institute of Chicago It is one of the most important art museums in the world, with a wide and rich impressionist and post-impressionist collection, which also has an important area dedicated to training. After carrying out the construction to create the new area that now houses the modern art collection.

Taking advantage of this expansion project, The museum's security department decided it was time to change its analog surveillance system by migrating to IP. Since this facility only closes its doors three days a year, a flexible IP-based system was required, easy to install to have minimal impact on museum operations and discreet enough not to interfere with the aesthetics of the rooms.

Security managers selected several models of network cameras for this project. Axis Communications, along with the software Honeywell Digital Video Manager, a digital closed circuit television surveillance system, which have been installed in strategic areas and points of the museum to deter criminal activity and ensure the safety of its visitors and the extensive art collection.

The aesthetics, Flexible programming and ease of redistribution were the criteria that museum officials considered when selecting Axis network video technology.. “One aspect in which we are very careful when dealing with an art museum is aesthetics,” explains Michelle Lehrman Jenness., vp. associate in the Department of Protective Services at the Art Institute of Chicago (in the image below)-. Axis network cameras not only meet our needs in terms of surveillance coverage, but because of their small size they can enter areas that analog systems never could.. In some cases, The cameras have been mounted on the lighting rails of the tracks so as not to interfere with the aesthetics of the exhibited work.

Another advantage of the new system is its flexibility.. “With Honeywell Digital Video Manager we can do more things, such as pre-programming individual cameras to run during specific times and even setting the frame rate per second of each camera to re-encode and transmit video to the monitoring station; in addition to moving the cameras around a gallery to adapt them to the rotation of the exhibitions in the rooms”, Jenness points out..

Maintaining critical surveillance after visiting hours presented another challenge for the museum. “To preserve certain types of works of art, Particularly works on paper - this official emphasizes - it is necessary that they be shown with as little light as possible., so we turn off the lights when the museum closes, “But we needed the cameras to guarantee their protection.”.

To address this need, Selected several models of Axis network cameras specifically designed for low-light operations ,both inside and outside the museum buildings. Depending on the coverage that was required, cameras sensitive to day and night light were installed such as the 225FD and 233D fixed domes, as well as the 209MFD model. Devices equipped with megapixel image sensors of the 223M model have also been deployed, “which give us greater resolution clarity in day/night video recording and help identify a person and decide if they are authorized to be in that location”, añade Jenness.