From Japan straight out to the world: the web site for news and information

25th General Conference of the International Council of Museums
“Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition”（1 – 7 September 2019）

During the week of 1–7 September, the city of Kyoto will welcome more than 3,000 museum professionals from around the world for ICOM Kyoto 2019, the 25^th General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Every three years, this international organisation gathers the global museum community around a topic of crucial interest to facilitate cultural exchange, to promote international cooperation, and to inspire local actions in order to allow museums to continue their public service mission to the society.

This year, the conference will be dedicated to the theme Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition. The topic is itself a statement about the central role museums have come to play in the future of our diverse societies. While sustaining their primary missions – collecting, conservation, communication, research, exhibition – they have transformed their practices in the pursuit of relevance for the communities they serve. They are now more aware than ever of the power they have to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to define a sustainable future.

The conference will revolve around six main topics concerning museums and their role in society: sustainability, the museum definition, disaster risk management, decolonisation, cultural diversity and local development. ICOM Kyoto 2019 will also feature three world-renowned keynote speakers (architect Kengo Kuma, photographer Sebastião Salgado and contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang) and host the International Museum Fair and EXPO Forum, where companies will showcase state of the art technology and innovations for museums and exhibitions.

Press conference and registration

Registration to the conference for the media is free of charge. A press conference will be held on September 7 at the Kyoto International Conference Center.

>> More information and registration

“ICOM Kyoto 2019 will be an exceptional experience, not only because of the multitude of discussions and events taking place, but also because of the opportunity to encounter the rich cultural heritage of Japan.”

Suay Aksoy, President of ICOM

“Museums are finding that they must play new social roles that go beyond their traditional functions of preserving and exhibiting their collections.”

Johei Sasaki, President of the ICOM Kyoto 2019 Organising Committee

MEDIA CONTACT AND MORE INFORMATION

ICOM Secretariat, Communication and PR Department

Alexandra Fernández Coego | +33 1 47 34 35 31 │alexandra.fernandez@icom.museum

Alessandro Gaballo | +33 7 63 98 72 62 | alessandro.gaballo@icom.museum

ICOM Kyoto 2019 website

https://icom-kyoto-2019.org/

ICOM website
https://icom.museum/