Session A Archives

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Considers the critical decisions museums make about which stories, assets, and cultural elements to prioritise, while maintaining their crucial role as stewards of historical truth, authenticity, and accuracy. In an era of technological change, misinformation, and climate challenges, how are preservation practices and the integrity of narratives affected?

Emirati woman demonstrating traditional palm frond weaving for ICOM Dubai 2025.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Looks at how museums reflect and adapt in response to global shifts in societal values, cultural norms, and demographic changes within communities. This day offers actionable insight into how museums can cultivate representative and responsive institutions that serve the changing needs of the public.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Explores the vital role museums play in helping communities navigate and access opportunities amongst social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

The ICOM Dubai 2025 programme of tours and excursions promises to be an unparalleled experience, designed to immerse participants in the vibrant culture, history, and dynamism of the United Arab Emirates. Taking place on Sunday 16th November, 2025, this exciting programme will offer a series of tailored excursions and events that will showcase the UAE in all its diversity, blending the country’s unique mix of rich traditions and hyper-modernity.

Participants will explore all seven emirates, each with its own distinctive identity, yet collectively embodying the UAE’s essence. From world-class museums and institutions in urban centres to smaller, more intimate cultural spots deeply rooted in local heritage, the programme will offer something for every interest. The programme will take participants on a journey to explore the UAE’s living heritage, engage meaningfully with a dynamic new generation of professionals and creatives, and experience some of the most innovative technologies shaping the cultural sector.

Expect to visit a wide range of sites and destinations, spanning multiple disciplines including archaeology, art, architecture, ethnography, performing arts, craft, culinary art, history, design, sustainability, and more. Participants will have the rare opportunity to step into the UAE’s past at significant archaeological sites and historical landmarks, witness exceptional contemporary architecture, explore the living heritage of the UAE and experience how the UAE has become a global hub for innovation, technology, and sustainable development. A memorable feature of this Emirati journey will be experiencing many of the UAE’s sixteen intangible heritage practices that are inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The ICOM Dubai 2025 programme of tours and excursions is designed to enhance the conference experience, offering participants the opportunity to connect, share experiences, and immerse themselves in the culture of the United Arab Emirates. Stay tuned for a detailed list of sites and experiences to be revealed soon!

Traditional Emirati architecture the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, featured at ICOM Dubai 2025

Digital Media and Sustainability: Developments from the perspectives of AVICOM and SUSTAIN

The production / use of digital media by museums—from websites, mobile applications to social media—has grown enormously in recent years. This development has revealed significant differences in terms of content quality on the one hand, and compliance with the United Nations’ declared Sustainable Development Goals on the other. This interdisciplinary session aims to analyze developments from the perspectives of AVICOM, the committee for media, and SUSTAIN, the committee for sustainability. It will identify problems, shortcomings, and demands, while also presenting best-practice examples. Fundamentally, this session will also address the question of which digital initiatives and engagements are meaningful, unnecessary, or should be rejected in light of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities

In a world of cities in constant transformation, how is urban heritage being researched, interpreted and deployed? Who holds the power to decide what is worth preserving and how it should be represented? How do city museums grapple with tensions generated by generational differences and technological change?

As part of the ICOM Dubai Triennial 2025 Conference, CAMOC will explore how city museums or other organizations interested in urban life and heritage can be active agents in shaping future communities in diverse urban contexts around the world – with particular interest in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region.

We will explore how museums can contribute to inclusive and just representations of urban heritage, reflecting the voices of different communities who have contributed to their cities’ histories and who continue to shape their evolution. Learn more at https://camoc.mini.icom.museum/conferences/dubai-2025/

CECA’s Special Interest Groups: Synthesis and results of five years of online activities

CECA’s Special Interest Groups have been initiated during the COVID shutdown to encourage continuous contacts and common work between members. Multilinguals, they meet on Line between 4 to 8 times a year, covering themes such as:” Inclusive museum, global accessibility” ” Surveying audience reception of educational and cultural programme ” ” Professional development of museum educators ” ” Museum Education and Decolonization ” ” Sensitive mediation ” ” Ypung members network “. This session will give their coordinators the opportunity to present the result of their work and encourage new attendees for their future meetings.

Documentation 101: Principles and Global examples

Session A: This session will introduce our audience to the core activities of ICOM DOCUMENTATION (formerly CIDOC). Across three presentations, we will introduce guiding principles for documenting collections across the span of museums and museum archives; we’ll provide an overview of the global standards we support and recommend, their importance and scope; we will discuss our ongoing project to define what “museum documentation” means for our broad community, in a changing museum and technological environment; and we will also discuss precise examples of museum documentation principles and systems at a national level, and how those are utilized.

The Landscape of Memory and Resistance Through Music and Performance

Music, while often thought of as intangible heritage, is also reflected in the material culture found in many types of museum collections. The ubiquity of music in cultural life, the myriad ways in which it delights and moves people, and its rich scope for cultural significance at many levels, make music and its tangible heritage important fields of inquiry and collaborative research. Musical instruments may be viewed at the heart of such investigations, yet when placed within historical and contemporary contexts, musical practices may be intertwined with other artefacts which also embody and express cultural identity, social, political, and spiritual ideas and values. Best practices in museum work allow for new ways for society to see, hear, access and engage with tangible and intangible heritage, and learn about the histories, artistry, craft, and techniques. The importance and fragility of such work is directly impacted by current wars and conflicts, suppressing and destroying material and immaterial cultural heritage.

Navigating the Chain of Accessibility

In this fast-paced workshop, participants will analyze each stage of the Accessibility Chain, while receiving tools to create action-items to apply it in their institutions. The Accessibility Chain, also known as the mobility chain, is a process that ensures accessibility and universal design at all stages of an experience. It focuses on creating inclusive environments by considering accessibility needs from the user’s perspective, starting with their initial decision to visit and ending with their safe return home. The Chain not only applies to people with disabilities (visual, auditory, motor, cognitive and learning), but also those who experience social, economic or ethnic/cultural disadvantages. Facilitators: Annkatrin Mayer, Dialog Haus Hamburg, Amparo Leyman Pino, Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Intangible Heritage

We will explore the positioning of museums with Egyptian and Sudanese collections as dynamic entities capable of safeguarding intangible heritage in an ever-evolving global landscape. In the face of rapid transformations driven by technological progress, shifting demographics, migration flux, mutations in social patterns, and environmental changes, the safeguarding of intangible heritage is of significant concern worldwide. We will discuss continuity and revitalisation of intangible heritage, the preservation of intangible heritage and how to safeguard the ancient Egyptian and Sudanese collective cultural legacy for both today and tomorrow.

——————–

Tuesday, 12 November 2025
Session A: Intangible Heritage
Welcome by Chair CIPEG Tine Bagh

14:30–14:45 Welcome by Chair CIPEG Tine Bagh

14:45–15:00 Mennah Aly, The Role of Regional Museums in Preserving Egypt’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

15:00–15:15 Eman Karam, Teaching Intangible Heritage through Interactive Workshops: Connecting Young Generations to Their Cultural Roots

15:15–15:30 Mai Mohamed, Harmonizing Heritage: Engaging Audiences Through Auditory Immersion in Museum Displays “ Graeco Roman museum as a model”

15:30–15:45 Ahmed Ghoneim and Shirin Brückner, GEM – The New Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. From Concept to Opening: Lessons learned from a monumental endeavour

15:45–16:00 Anna Titovets, Digital-born Heritage. From intangible to contextual. Beyond Mere Preservation

Homo Viator. Dressing Nomads, Travelers, Migrants and Pilgrims. Ethical Challenges and Implications

The nomadic lifestyle is connected with the beginnings of many civilizations, but it is also an important feature of the culture of numerous contemporary societies. This Costume and ICEthics invites submissions for research papers that explore the multifaceted relationship between dress and nomadic cultures, focusing on the ethical challenges and implications that arise from these interactions and also the issue of clothing for different kinds of journeys, in all aspects of this phenomenon and from all of communities, regions and times.

Clothing traditions of ancient and modern nomads often hold deep symbolic meaning, reflecting identity, status, and worldview. However, the study, preservation, and representation of these traditions, particularly in an increasingly globalised world, raise complex ethical questions.

This session addresses these issues by bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from archaeology, anthropology, fashion studies, cultural studies, history, and ethics.

——————–

Dubai World Trade Center 12^th November 2025, 14h30-16h00
PAPER SESSION A-8 COSTUME X ICETHICS
HOMO VIATOR. DRESSING NOMADS, TRAVELERS, MIGRANTS and PILGRIMS
ICOM COSTUME CHAIR CORINNE THEPAUT-CABASSET
ICOM ICETHICS CHAIR LINA GEBRAIL-TAHAN

Ghia Haddad (ICOM UAE) member of COSTUME, Threading the Journey: Palestinian Embroidery and Displacement

Tobias Moerike (ICOM Austria) member of COSTUME, Social Fabric Textile Histories in the North African and West Asian Collections at the Weltmuseum Wien

Aldona Jedrusik (ICOM Slovakia) member of COSTUME, Textiles in Armenian Books as Witnesses of Cultural Migration

Xiaofen Ji (ICOM China) member of COSTUME, Research on the Evolution and Form of the Gold Belt System in Song Dynasty

The House Museum as a Witness to the Contemporary World

Traditionally, house museums have been seen as portals to the past, preserving the memory of historical figures and their lived environments. Nevertheless, in the face of contemporary challenges, house museums also serve as active sites of engagement with present-day cultural shifts.

This session will examine the evolving role of house museums in reflecting contemporary life, documenting present experiences for future generations, and juxtaposing historical lifestyles with modern realities.

Adornment and Identity

This joint session between GLASS and DESIGN (formerly ICDAD) explores adornment in the decorative arts—including glass and other artistic mediums—as a means of expressing identity, heritage, and social belonging. It considers how these practices persist, adapt, and communicate meaning across cultures and time. Papers also relating to the subthemes of the conference, “intangible heritage,” “youth power,” and new technologies” are especially welcome, in alignment with the ICOM Dubai 2025 theme, “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities.”

——————–
Session A-10
DESIGN (ICDAD) & GLASS
Adornment and Identity
12 November, 1:00 – 2:30 PM (Dubai time)
Sheikh Rashid Hall B

Presentations

Mihaela GRIGOREAN (Satu Mare County Museum), “The Wreath of the Bride from Oaș Country, Romania and the Art of Identity Reconstruction”

Mariangels FONDEVILA (Curator of Modern Art, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya), “Adornment and Identity: Case of Study Based on the Museu Nacional D’Art Collections”

Diletta HABERL (PhD student in Art History at the Department of Humanities, University of L’Aquila), “Adorning the Invisible: Herta Ottolenghi Wedekind’s Textile Language of Symbolism and Meaning”

Sakshi KUKRETI (Museum Consultant and Independent Curator), “Adornment and Identity: Material Culture in Indian Sanskrit Literature and Museum Collections”

Keynote Address

Salehvand NAVID (Director of Glass and Ceramic Museum of Iran) and Moghayer Zohreh MOHAMMADIAN (Senior Curator of Glass and Ceramic Museum of Iran), “Changing Face of a Glass Object, a Narrative of Research Journey in Times and Places”

Moderators

Denise HAGSTRÖMER (DESIGN Board Member and Senior Curator of Design at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design)

Anika REINEKE (DESIGN Board Member and Curator of Textiles, Decorative and Applied Arts and the Henry van de Velde Museum)

Melissa RINNE (DESIGN Chair and Senior Specialist, Kyoto National Museum)

Shaping Tomorrow’s Stories: Emerging Trends in Content Development

This dynamic panel explores the latest trends transforming content development in exhibitions today. From AI-driven interpretation and co-created storytelling to immersive, sensory-rich environments and community-authored narratives, panelists will share innovative approaches reshaping how museums engage audiences. The session highlights how institutions are embracing experimentation, inclusivity, and technology to deliver relevant, resonant content that meets evolving visitor expectations. Join global thought leaders as they discuss the opportunities and challenges of creating agile, future-forward content across diverse cultural contexts. This conversation will inspire new thinking around collaboration, authenticity, and the role of museums as responsive platforms for dialogue and discovery.

——————–

Attendees:

Tim Pethick
Anik Dorion-Coupal
Alec Cole
Jol Martinenghi

Session 1: Traditions and Fusions – The Role of Museums in a Changing World

In an era of rapid globalization and cultural exchange, artistic traditions are constantly evolving through fusion with other influences. Museums, as cultural institutions, play a crucial role in preserving heritage while also adapting to contemporary transformations. This session explores how museums can navigate the balance between safeguarding traditional art forms and embracing new, hybrid artistic expressions.

——————–

November 12
1:00–2:30 PM at Dubai World Trade Center (Exhibition Hall 5)

13:00 Opening remarks
13:05 GIBBONS Gloria, Re-presenting Mexico in Fine Art Museums
13:20 WAHLER Marc-Olivier, Traditions and Fusions: The MAH Geneva’s Multifréquence Museum Model (Online)
13:35 AJDARI Irène, From modernism to contemporary: The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art as a cultural bridge
13:50 PRIEWE Sascha, The Aga Khan Museum and the Reimagining of Migration Narratives
14:05 Discussion / Q&A
14:20 Member meeting + Break

New Technologies

Literary and composers’ museums are facing new challenges in a rapidly changing world, along with the homes of writers, poets, playwrights, librettists and translators, musicians, composers, singers and dancers, must deal with technological evolution, artificial intelligence, and new means of communication. What is the role and significance of literary and composers’ museums in the digital and artificial intelligence era? What will the literary and musical works of the future be like? Will the human creativity that has brought us the masterpieces we know in all literatures and world music be preserved? To address change, it is necessary to know and promote the works of writers and composers who are the living cultural heritage of all countries and a paradigm of the cultural identity of our peoples and nations. The literary and composers’ museums of the ICLCM Committee present their best practices and their work to make literature and music a common heritage for the enrichment of the spirit.

——————–

Session A-13
Session A: 12 November, 1:00 – 2:30 PM (Dubai time)
Sheikh Maktoum Hall A
Session timing:20 minutes for the keynote speech (10 minutes for papers)

Introduction and moderator: Adriano Rigoli, ICLCM Chairman

Keynote Speech by His Excellency Mohammad Ahmad Al Murr, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library

Papers

Adriano Rigoli, Marco Capaccioli, Online and offline promotion of the houses of the Italian network of the National Association of Houses of Memory

Galina Alekseeva, The Heritage of Classical Writers and the Role of Literary Museums as a part of the ICLCM activities

Mikhail Bryzgalov, Memorial Museums of the Russian National Museum of Music

Elena Komleva, The Museum-narrator in a Modern Educational Environment

Yuriy Komlev, Orenburg museums in the era of change

Chiao-Mei Lin, Opening Up the Literary Museum in Taiwan. From Open Data to Digital Curatorship and Beyond

Museum Practice in the age of AI: use of new technologies and ethical implications

This session explores how emerging technologies and social media are reshaping and challenging museum practice. ICME invites curators, educators and museum workers to participate, particularly colleagues working in and with Indigenous and community-based institutions. Presenters will share their experience, concerns and reflections using AI, digital tools and other innovations on curatorial and institutional practice. Are these technologies really helping museums stay relevant for younger audiences, or do they represent a risk for community-based work? How are local communities reacting? Are these “new” tools facilitating the respect for sensitive collections and access to different knowledges and creativity, or on the contrary, are they reinforcing extraction and cultural appropriation?

ICME aims to join the global conversation on ethical frameworks as our field increasingly adopts digital tools. In this session we encourage discussions on the implications and responsibilities of using new technologies. We ask: What responsibilities do museums with Indigenous and sensitive material culture have when sharing digital collections, or when AI companies train their models on open-access ethnographic collections? We invite presenters to discuss the way museums can become advocates for digital rights and cultural sovereignty, through ethical and responsible AI use.

——————–

Museum Practice in the Age of AI:
Use of New Technologies and Ethical Implications
Wednesday, 12th November 2025, 14:30 – 16:00

14:15 – 14:30 Coffee Break

Moderator: Dr. Sing-Da Huang (National Museum of History)
Moderator: Heidi McKinnon (Curators Without Borders/ICME Board)

14:30 – 14:35 Introduction

14:35 – 14:45 Anli Chang (National Museum of Taiwan History): Co-Creating Historical Memory with Indigenous Communities: The VR Production of Paliljaw 1874 at the National Museum of Taiwan History

14:45 – 14:55 Dr. Heng Song and Professor Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem (The Centre for Architecture, Urbanism & Global Heritage (CAUGH) and York School of Architecture, University of York): Using AI in bridging time and space of ancient sites: The Integration of AI data systems, museum collections and virtual models of ancient Hawara Pyramid and Labyrinth complex in Fayoum, Egypt (Online)

14:55 – 15:05 Isabel Cristina Stappers Felipe Beirigo (Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision): Ethical AI for Cultural Heritage: Lessons learnt from the DE-BIAS project

15:05 – 15:15 Mika (Jaeyun) Noh Space Ba) Reimagining Cultural Equity Through AI Curatorship: A Case Study from Korea

15:15 – 15:25 Chilala Habeenzu (Tazara Memorial Museum) Digital Tracks, Cultural Crossroads: Technology and Community Agency at the TAZARA Memorial Museum

15:25 – 15:35 Agnes Aljas and Pille Runnel (Estonian National Museum) Digital Participation: Reimagining Ethnographic Collections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

15:35 – 15:45 Dr. Nagmeldeen Morshed Hamza (Department of Antiquities and Museums Ras Al Khaimah): New technologies in approaching Islamic and Arabic Manuscripts on European Papers

15:45 – 15:55 Alexandros Giannikopoulos (National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)): Intangible Hand of God (Online)

15:55 – 16:10 Panel discussion

Museum Disaster Preparedness

1. How can museums actively prepare for hybrid threats, combining cyber risks, disinformation and physical danger.

2. Planning for the unthinkable, are museums and heritage sites prepared for conflict. What can we learn from recent and historical experience.

3. Hospitality under pressure: Welcoming visitors in a society under strain. How can museums continue to offer a welcoming environment in times of societal pressure and polarization.

Designing for the Invisible: Architecture, Design and Digital Strategies for Showcasing Intangible Heritage

This session will explore the vital role of museum architecture and techniques in presenting intangible heritage. It will examine how spaces can be shaped to foster creativity, learning, and participation, encouraging engagement with cultural narratives, history, and contemporary issues. It will also focus on innovative case studies that are adapted to diverse audiences, showcasing how museum buildings and exhibition design create dynamic spaces for engaging with intangible heritage, enhancing accessibility, impact and making cultural traditions more relatable.

——————–

ICAMT Session A-16
WEDNESDAY 12th of NOVEMBER 2025 / 13:00 – 14:30 PM (Dubai time)
Designing for the Invisible: Architecture, Design and Digital Strategies for Showcasing Intangible Heritage
Moderator(s): Nana Meparishvili
Room number: Al Ain F

13:00-13:05 Opening and Welcoming: Nana Meparishvili (Chair of ICAMT)

13:05-13:15 Showcasing Sound from the Past: Approaching the Intangible Through the Tangible: Zhuolin Li

13:15-13:25 Journeys, Memories, and Myths: Spatial Installations for Intangible Heritage: Thomas Richard Alexander Duncan

13:25-13:35 National Museum to the Great Migration: Robert Louis Brandon Edwards

13:35-13:45 Architecture as Narrative: translating Intangible Heritage at Völklingen Ironworks: Noel McCauley

13:45-13:55 Displaying the Undisplayable: Multisensory Approaches to Intangible Cultural Heritage in Museum Exhibition Design: Wenyan Wang

13:55-14:05 The application of digital technology in the exhibition of traditional Chinese culture: Zhang Le (online presentation)

14:05-14:15 Beneath the Moving Sky: Rediscovering Austronesian Navigation and Embodied Practices in the Museum Space: Cheng-Yi Shih (online presentation)

14:15-14:30 Q&A

14:30-14:45 Break

Imagining the Next Generation of Museum Professionals: Bridging Gaps, Breaking Barriers

Session A of this joint symposium, collaboratively organised by ICOFOM, ICTOP, and COMCOL, is entitled “Imagining the Next Generation of Museum Professionals: Bridging Gaps, Breaking Barriers.” Structured as a three-part symposium, the series brings together diverse perspectives on shaping the future of museum work. This session will critically explore current global practices in museum studies education and professional training, examining how theory and practice align in today’s museum sector and addressing both ethical and practical challenges.

Through a series of presentations and discussions, the symposium will engage with five central themes: Museum Studies and the Curriculum; Museology; Diversifying Programmes and Practices; Collecting as an Act of Care; and Building Sector Capacity. We aim to foster robust dialogue among scholars, practitioners, educators, and students, addressing global and community-specific needs, diversity, decolonial methodologies, participatory collecting practices, and sustainable capacity building.

Academic Program

Academic exchange in the field of interest of ICOMAM (Arms & Military). Topic: The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities

Preserving Traditional Conservation and Restoration Knowledge

While conservation practices continually evolve with the latest scientific advancements, our understanding of the materials chosen by artisans and their crafting processes is deeply rooted in a profound appreciation of traditional techniques. This session, organised in collaboration with ICOM-Japan, will focus on preserving these valuable techniques for future generations.

——————–

SESSION A: Preserving Traditional Conservation and Restoration Knowledge

Programme Start 10:00 (Paris) | 13:00 (Dubai)

13.00-13:10 Introduction: Stephanie de Roemer & Reiko Sakaki

13:10-13:30 Onsite: Yuji Kurihara (English)

13:30-13:50 Online: Jun Iwashita (Japanese with English translation)

13:50-14:10 Onsite: Hiroshi Hashimoto (English)

14:10-14:30 Q&A

Speakers

Title: Conservation and Restoration of Japanese Fine arts and Craft

Speaker: Yuji KURIHARA, ICOM Japan

Yuji KURIHARA specializes in museum policy and museum management. He entered the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture in 1989; Director for Community Relations, the Japanese School of New York; Director of the Fine Arts Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs; Director of Administration, Tokyo National Museum; Vice-Director of Kyoto National Museum and since April 2023, he is Vice-Director of National Museum of Nature and Science. Now, He is Vice-chair of ICOM-JAPAN, Treasurer of ICOM-DRMC, Board member of the Japanese Association of Museums, Vice president of the Japan Society for Exhibition Studies, Vice president of Japan Museum Management Academy, executive member of the Museological Society of Japan, adjunct lecturer at Kokugakuin University, Gakusyuin University and International Christian University. Mr. Kurihara is author of “Museum Enthusiast in USA” (2009), “The world of museums you should know about as general knowledge” (2021), “Learn Museum Laws from the Basics” (2022), and other books and publications.

Title: The Restoration of Buddha Statues

Speaker: Jun Iwashita, BIJYUTSU-IN Laboratory for the Conservation of National Treasures, Japan

ONLINE

Jun IWASHITA is a cultural property conservation and restoration technician. He joined the Bijutsu-in – Laboratory for the Conservation of National Treasures of Japan in 1988 and has been engaged in the conservation and restoration of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, such as Buddhist sculptures, ever since. Some of the notable restorations he has worked on include the National Treasure wooden statue of Amida Nyorai at Byodo-in Temple (Kyoto Prefecture), the National Treasure wooden statue of Senju Kannon at Toshodai-ji Temple (Nara Prefecture), and the Important Cultural Property wooden statue of Kongo Rikishi at Kinpusen-ji Temple (Nara Prefecture). Since 2022, he has served as the director of the BIJYUTSU-IN – Laboratory for Conservation of National Treasures of Japan, overseeing restoration projects and working to nurture the next generation of restoration technicians.

Title: The Conservation of Soko Cultural Properties – Mounted Cultural Properties on Silk and Paper Substrates

Speaker: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Director of the Association for Conservation of National Treasures

Hiroshi HASHIMOTO graduated from Senshu University Graduate School（historical science） and Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate School（science of art）, and joined SHOKAKUDO Co., Ltd. in 2006.He became the company’s CEO in 2016. He has also served as a director of the Association for Conservation of National Treasures since 2020.He is adjunct lecturer at Kyoto Prefectural University.

Translation by

Sawako SENTOKU works part-time at the ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum as a curatorial assistant. Along with her job, she is enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the Tokyo University of the Arts specializing in conservation science. She received a bachelor’s degree at the International Christian University in Japan, double majoring in physics and art and cultural studies, writing her senior thesis regarding muon X-ray analysis. Her master’s degree is from the same university as her Ph.D. program, specifically studying the conservation of blueprints. Sawako continues her studies in blueprints, studying their reasons for degradation, methods of preservation, and to restore their degraded information. Ms. Sentoku is a student member of ICOM, participating in ICOM-CC as her main branch.

Moderators

Stephanie de Roemer trained in archaeological and contemporary art conservation and has coordinated ICOM’s Sculpture Working Group since 2019. She explores sustainable, inclusive conservation practices through facilitation and public engagement. Her work advocates for 3D heritage care across diverse communities, aligning conservation with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Reiko SAKAKI is a retired historian and former curator at Tokyo’s Tobacco & Salt Museum, specializing in global cultural exchange during the Age of Exploration. An ICOM member since 2010, she promotes international collaboration in conservation and aims to strengthen ties between ICOM-CC and Japanese institutions post-retirement.

Strategic Planning for Regional and Local Museums in Response to Crisis for the Archaeological Heritage Preservation

This session is designed to examine how museums prepare for significant events and the insights that can be derived from museum professionals during or after such incidents. The experiences of these professionals in disaster response provide valuable information to the museum sector regarding strategies aimed at safeguarding lives, collections, and archaeological sites. This knowledge will be disseminated through case studies that detail effective planning prior to disasters, responses during crises, and successful communication strategies that have been implemented.

——————–

12th November 2025
1:00 – 2:30 PM (Dubai time)
ICR-DRMC-ICMAH Session- – Session A-20
Strategic Planning for Regional and Local Museums in Response to Crisis for the Archaeological Heritage Preservation
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
Room No: Sheikh Rashid Hall C

Asmaa Hussein – Strategic Planning and Effective Communication for Crisis Management in Regional Museums: A Case Study of Mallawi Museum

Rūta Kačkutė – Prepared for the Worst: Strategic Planning for Lithuanian Museums in case of Armed Conflict

Elke Kellner – Be prepared. Emergency Management in Museums in the context of armed conflict and climate change

Amal Ibrahim – Augmenting the Afterlife: HoloLens Interpretation of Ancient Egyptian Burial Rituals at the Grand Egyptian Museum

Mei-Fang Kuo (awaiting confirmation) – Challenges and Strategies in Operating Local Archaeological Museums– Take the Yunlin Archaeological Site Museum as an Example

Museum Funding: Emerging Trends and New Futures

Museums play a crucial role in fostering well-being, encouraging critical thinking, and contributing to social cohesion in a rapidly changing global world. To continue and build on this work, museums require a secure resource base. A recent ICOM-IMREC research project undertaken by the International Research Alliance on Public Funding for Museums (IRAPFM) and initiated by ICOM-IMREC raises the alarm on the worldwide state of public funding for the sector. This global study reveals a pattern of consistent funding decline over the last two decades. This session will explore the global situation of public funding, its impact, how museums are responding with new funding models, and why advocacy is a strategic necessity for a sustainable future.

• Moderator: Carol Scott
• Keynotes: Michele Rivet, Marek Prokupek

——————–

14:30 Welcome words by Goranka Horjan (INTERCOM Chair) and Asma Ibrahim (ICOMON Chair)

14:35 Moderator: Carol Ann Scott (ICOM-IMREC) introduces the session: Museum Funding: Emerging Trends and New Futures and keynote panelists Michele Rivet (IRAPFM) and Marek Prokupek (INTERCOM)

15:00 Pecha kucha presentations:

15:01 Prof. Yu Miao, Title: Few to More: Institutional Mechanisms and Cultural Service Evaluation in State-Funded Museums — An Empirical Study of Four Cases in China

15:08 Kimmo Levä, Title: Museums at the Crossroads: Growing Roles, Shrinking Budgets

15:15 Dominic Neergheen (online), Title: MAGNET: Developing Collaborative Approaches to Museum Funding and Advocacy

15:22 Urška Purg and Matko Mioč, Title: From Bankarium to MUZA: Diversifying Funding and Repositioning a Private Museum for Public Value

15:29 David Little (online), Title: Don’t Go It Alone: A Partnership Approach for Future Museum Funding

15:36 Cécile Anger, Title: Shaping the Future of Museum Funding: The Role of Intangible Assets, Brand and Image Topic: Museum Funding: Emerging Trends and New Futures

15:43 Laura Zani, Title: Geneva’s Musée d’art et d’histoire: New perspectives for the cultural philanthropy

15:50 Q & A session: Discussion with presenters and keynotes

16.00 – 16.30 NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK

Intangible Heritage—Storytelling, Identity, and Relevance

Dissemination and promotion of intangible cultural heritage from one generation to the next has traditionally been transmitted through a variety of means, including oral, written, musical, and pictorial. How do we as museum communicators respect authenticity, sensitivities, living traditions, and marginalized communities when we develop, disseminate, promote, and evaluate effectiveness of compelling content and narratives that appeal to a broader audience and drive engagement, utilizing twenty-first century communications media, technology, terminology, methodologies, and platforms?

Through presentations and interactive discussions, ICOM COMMS (former MPR) will address topics of interest to museum communicators, marketers, fundraisers, and community engagement specialists, including digital storytelling, ethical parameters for shareable content, social media and podcast strategies, news media and influencer relationships, crisis management when navigating cultural appropriation concerns, and community-centered fundraising.

——————–

Session A
12 November 2025, 1:00 – 2:30 (Dubai time)
Intangible Heritage – Storytelling, Identity, and Relevance

Moderator = Anna Dentoni

Wendell Silva & Ricardo Lopes: Communication, Design, and Living Heritage: The “Experiência Brumadinho” Case at Inhotim Institute

Ana Paula, Miranda Saavedra: Revitalizing the Threads of Heritage: The Role of Public Relations in Promoting Mayan Intangible Cultural Heritage

Sharifa Balfour: Digital Storytelling for Intangible Heritage: Reclaiming Saba’s Hidden Narratives

Vanessa Ferey & Benoit Le Blanc: Ethical Storytelling and Collective Intelligence: Situated Transmission of Intangible Heritage in the Age of AI

Natia Khuluzauri: Echoes from the Mountains: Digital Storytelling and Intangible Heritage at the Alexander Kazbegi House Museum

Abdulla Al Naama & Mohammed Al Yousuf: Voices Remembered: Curating Intangible Heritage and Historical Trauma at Bin Jelmood House

Reconsidering the division between Natural and Cultural Heritage: The Role of Natural History collections in reactivating intangible knowledge

Reconnecting museum collections of cultural heritage – the belongings of people – with their origins and stories has contributed to the enrichment of identity and to intangible knowledge-building by connecting the past with the present, moving beyond safeguarding, to reactivating areas of intangible knowledge.
Natural History museums and collections are becoming public places where environmental issues and their anthropogenic origins are addressed. This has led to new approaches to the interactions between people and nature, with a desire to showcase the close connections between cultural and natural heritage in articulating issues which now affect modern societies across the world, such as climate change, increased pollution, migration and habitat loss.
We believe collections of cultural and natural heritage need to be more integrated in current analyses. This work is now urgent, as it is directly impacted by current wars and conflicts as well as transformations of habitat, which have altered material and immaterial cultural heritage. This session welcomes case studies and reflections on the interdisciplinary potential of such work.

We look forward to reading your submissions and meeting you in Dubai!

——————–

November 12 13:00-14:30
NATHIST UMAC collaboration – Session A-23
Reconsidering the division between Natural and Cultural Heritage: The Role of Natural History collections in reactivating intangible knowledge
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
Location: Hall, Abu Dhabi B

Zhang: The Natural History of Japan in Edo Period and it’s Reflection in Natural History Museums
Fang: Beyond Botanical Classification: Rethinking Museum Interpretations of Millet as Cultural Heritage
Kuluza: Investigating farmers’ knowledge on climate change and their adaptation with regards to Nature-based Solutions
Bhattacharya: Division between Natural and Cultural Heritage: Reconsidering Natural History Collections for Revitalizing Intangible Knowledge
Hamza: Herbarium Collections in cultural heritage Museum: Balancing preservation, Exhibition and accessibility
Uhrbrand: Wild Wonderful World: Exhibiting the collecting of nature in a cultural history setting

The Present and Future of Social Museology

The session will include four keynote speakers with different approaches to the current state and the future of Social Museology in their regions. Presenters will cover topics spanning from the development of community-based museums and heritage organisations, to their challenges and potentials in the preservation of heritage. Case studies will include examples of collaborative projects based on a relational ethics, the participation of community in larger institutions and the practice of experimental museologies in grassroots organisations.

12th November 2025

Session A 13:00 – 14:30

A-1

AVICOM & SUSTAIN

Digital Media and Sustainability: Developments from the perspectives of AVICOM and SUSTAIN

A-2

CAMOC

Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities

A-3

CECA

CECA’s Special Interest Groups: Synthesis and results of five years of online activities

A-4

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation 101: Principles and Global examples

A-5

MUSIC, ICMEMOHRI

The Landscape of Memory and Resistance Through Music and Performance

A-6

CIMUSET

Navigating the Chain of Accessibility

A-7

CIPEG

Intangible Heritage

A-8

COSTUME, ICEthics

Homo Viator. Dressing Nomads, Travelers, Migrants and Pilgrims. Ethical Challenges and Implications

A-9

DEMHIST

The House Museum as a Witness to the Contemporary World

A-10

DESIGN (ICDAD), GLASS

Adornment and Identity

A-11

ICOM EXHIBITIONS

Shaping Tomorrow’s Stories: Emerging Trends in Content Development

A-12

ICFA

Session 1: Traditions and Fusions – The Role of Museums in a Changing World

A-13

ICLCM

New Technologies

A-14

ICME

Museum Practice in the age of AI: use of new technologies and ethical implications

A-15

ICOM SECURITY

Museum Disaster Preparedness

A-16

ICAMT

Designing for the Invisible: Architecture, Design and Digital Strategies for Showcasing Intangible Heritage

A-17

ICOFOM, COMCOL, ICTOP

Imagining the Next Generation of Museum Professionals: Bridging Gaps, Breaking Barriers

A-18

ICOM ARMS & MILITARY

Academic Program

A-19

ICOM CONSERVATION

Preserving Traditional Conservation and Restoration Knowledge

A-20

ICR, ICMAH, DRMC

Strategic Planning for Regional and Local Museums in Response to Crisis for the Archaeological Heritage Preservation

A-21

INTERCOM, ICOMON

Museum Funding: Emerging Trends and New Futures

A-22

ICOM COMMS

Intangible Heritage—Storytelling, Identity, and Relevance

A-23

NATHIST, UMAC

Reconsidering the division between Natural and Cultural Heritage: The Role of Natural History collections in reactivating intangible knowledge

A-24

SOMUS

The Present and Future of Social Museology

A-1 AVICOM & SUSTAIN

Digital Media and Sustainability: Developments from the perspectives of AVICOM and SUSTAIN

A-2 CAMOC

Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities

A-3 CECA

CECA’s Special Interest Groups: Synthesis and results of five years of online activities

Session A
13:00 – 14:30