ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the behind-the-scenes documentation work at the Museum of European Cultures (MEK) in Berlin through an infrastructure studies lens, highlighting the informal arrangements, overlapping responsibilities, and systemic incompatibilities that shape daily operations. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, it reveals how maintaining order and providing care in the museum’s backstage areas are central to sustaining its informational infrastructure. Documentation activities, carried out by curators, photographers, and museologists, extend beyond their formal roles, addressing gaps to ensure the smooth functioning of museums. These efforts underscore the critical yet overlooked labour that supports the preservation of collections and the institution’s public-facing functions.
