Promoting Museum Leadership through an International Conference
The international conference Museums and Sustainability: Needs and Opportunities reaches its third edition, consolidating a path of reflection initiated in 2024 and developed over the following years. In a context marked by increasingly urgent environmental, social and cultural transformations, museums continue to question their role and their ability to make a responsible contribution to contemporary society.
As the international community moves progressively closer to the objectives set out in the 2030 Agenda, the need to rethink cultural, economic and social models in light of contemporary global crises is becoming increasingly evident. These challenges are shaped by conflicts, inequalities, geopolitical instability and the growing depletion of available resources. In this context, sustainability takes on an even more central role, calling upon cultural institutions to explore the possibility of developing alternative practices, relationships and visions capable of generating more conscious and lasting impacts.
Over the course of previous editions, the debate has highlighted how sustainability can no longer be understood as a limited or exclusively technical objective, but rather as a condition that permeates the very way in which cultural institutions design, govern and build relationships with territories and communities. Alongside the growing awareness of the urgency of these issues, questions remain regarding the complexity of processes of change, the need for more inclusive models, and the challenge of translating shared principles into structural and enduring practices.
The third edition builds upon these reflections, renewing the dialogue on the role museums can play in developing more responsible, accessible and resilient forms of cultural production. In line with the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the conference aims to strengthen an international platform for dialogue among institutions, professionals and scholars, fostering the exchange of experiences, practices and perspectives on the sustainable future of the contemporary museum sector.
With the patronage of Regione Lombardia, Fondazione Luigi Rovati, and the Order of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects and Conservators of the Province of Milan.
Informations
When
November 13th, 2026
from 9.00 a.m. to 6.30 a.m.
Where
Pinacoteca di Brera
Via Brera, 28
20121 Milan
Who is it for
Admission is free and open to all, subject to prior registration via the dedicated registration link.
4 CPD credits are recognised for Architects for the morning session. Code: ARMI5433. Minimum attendance requirement: 100%.
4 CPD credits are recognised for Architects for the afternoon session. Code: ARMI5434. Minimum attendance requirement: 100%.
The Museums, Institutions and Exhibitions We Will Explore
Grande Brera
Milan
Museu Picasso
Barcelona
GAM
Turin
Metro Station
Colosseo - Fori Imperiali
Rome
Teylers Museum
Haarlem
Valkhof Museum
Nijmegen
Museum Bojimans
Van Beuningen
Rotterdam
Pirelli Hangar Bicocca
Milan
Fondazione Brescia Musei
Certosa di San Giacomo Capri
SDGs promoted by the event
Goal 4 – Quality Education
Through the free dissemination of high-quality cultural and educational content.
Goal 5 – Gender Equality
By ensuring a significant presence of women among speakers, moderators and curators.
Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities
By ensuring free access to the conference for professionals, students and members of the public who are not part of institutional or academic networks.
Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
By highlighting the role of museums in urban regeneration and the promotion of social cohesion.
Goal 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
By fostering networks among public institutions, foundations, professionals and cultural organisations at both national and international levels.
Co-organisation: ICOM-ICAMT
ICAMT is one of the principal International Committees of ICOM, with a network of nearly 700 members worldwide, including architects, designers, engineers and museum professionals. The Committee provides support and expertise on issues related to museum planning and design, the architecture of exhibition buildings, and the design of permanent and temporary exhibitions, with particular attention also given to the management of historic buildings that have been adapted for museum use.
ICAMT promotes dialogue and cooperation among its members, providing an international forum for discussion and exchange between professionals working in the museum and cultural sectors. Its activities include international conferences, specialist workshops, publications and training initiatives dedicated to best practices in the design and management of museum spaces.
The Committee serves as a reference point for innovation in the field of museum architecture, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge and ideas through extensive editorial and communication activities carried out via its website, newsletters, social media, and the annual and triennial meetings promoted by ICOM.
In collaboration with: Pinacoteca di Brera
The Pinacoteca di Brera is an autonomous state museum, established by Ministerial Decree 141/2014 and directed since 2024 by Angelo Crespi. Located within Palazzo Brera, it forms part of a wider cultural complex comprising the Pinacoteca, the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, Palazzo Citterio and other civic spaces, including the Santa Sofia Media Library.
Officially founded in 1809, the Pinacoteca was established with an educational purpose alongside the Academy of Fine Arts initiated by Maria Theresa of Austria, with the aim of providing an exemplary collection for the training of students. During the Napoleonic era, it was transformed into a state museum, distinguishing itself from other Italian institutions through the public and political origins of its collections.
Alongside the Pinacoteca, the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, founded in 1770 and opened to the public in 1786, represents one of Italy’s leading library institutions. Its extensive collections contribute to the complex’s broader functions of research and conservation.
A key moment in the evolution of the complex was the opening of Palazzo Citterio in 2024, marking the completion of the Grande Brera project, conceived in the 1970s. This new space expands the institution’s cultural offering, bringing together its collections of ancient art with modern and contemporary art, while also providing venues for exhibitions and events.
The Grande Brera project strengthens and expands the institution’s role, enhancing its historic identity and consolidating its position as a European cultural centre of global significance.
