Drawing on the principles of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Display & Design ETS launched its first initiative in 2024, Museum Sustainability: Needs and Opportunities, co-organised with ICOM-ICAMT. The conference invited museums and cultural institutions to reflect on their role in the transition towards a more equitable and sustainable future.
The key questions remain: how can change be implemented, and what responsibilities do museums have?
The 2024 edition of the conference achieved strong results, featuring four thematic sessions, numerous speakers and significant participation from professionals, while receiving the support of several institutions within the sector. Its success paved the way for a second edition, promoted in partnership with Fondazione Cariplo and new partners, with the aim of continuing to share innovative perspectives and knowledge.
Once again organised with ICOM-ICAMT, Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione Ordine degli Architetti di Milano, the 2025 international conference provided a new platform for discussion on the sustainable transition of museums — a process that has been underway for some time, but remains far from achieving systemic change. The involvement of additional partners further confirmed the growing interest in the topic.
Against a global backdrop characterised by environmental crises and resource scarcity, museums and culture assume a strategic role: not merely as custodians of collections, but as generators of knowledge, well-being and social cohesion. Organisations such as UNESCO, ICOM and the Council of the European Union have likewise highlighted the central role of cultural heritage in shaping sustainable futures.
The 2025 edition ultimately aimed to consolidate the conference as an annual reference event, revisiting the four central themes addressed in the previous edition while expanding them through new national and international perspectives.
9:00 – 9:15 — Registration
9:45 – 11:00 — Leadership for Change
How museums can effectively lead the sustainable transition at local and global levels.
Leadership for sustainable change requires vision, listening and the ability to engage communities. As spaces for knowledge and dialogue, museums can effectively lead the ecological transition at both local and global levels by addressing environmental challenges, promoting responsible behaviours, experimenting with sustainable management practices and becoming laboratories for social innovation. Through educational programmes, local partnerships and international networks, museums can transform awareness into shared action, generating lasting impact.
Moderator: Patrizia Asproni
Speakers:
10:00 – 10:15 | Chiara Rostagno
10:15 – 10:30 | Marco Edoardo Minoja
10:30 – 10:45 | Adelina De Vito
11:00 – 13:00 — The Benefits of Change
Exploring the environmental impacts and economic benefits of small- and large-scale changes that can be implemented.
Change, even in its most modest forms, can generate significant environmental and economic benefits. In museums with strong ties to their local context, the adoption of sustainable practices can help reduce environmental impact while supporting local economies. By rethinking spaces, materials and management practices in dialogue with their surroundings, museums can become active platforms for cultural and environmental development, generating positive effects within local communities and contributing to more effective protection of the natural and social heritage of the areas in which they operate.
Moderator: Guido Guerzoni
Speakers:
11:15 – 11:30 | Giovanna Forlanelli
11:30 – 11:45 | Jean Hilgersom
11:45 – 12:00 | Matteo Ferrario
12:00 – 12:15 | Marco Bruni
13:00 – 14:00 — Lunch Break
14:00 – 16:00 — Future Scenarios
The future of museums and the possible ethical, symbolic and territorial implications of the sustainable transition.
Imagining the museums of the future means rethinking architectural and exhibition spaces through a sustainable approach. Buildings designed or renovated to reduce energy consumption and emissions, and flexible layouts that make the most of natural light and encourage responsible use, are choices that affect not only environmental impact but also the way audiences perceive and experience museums. Such interventions generate ethical and symbolic implications, as the space itself becomes a message and a testimony to a genuine commitment to sustainability. At the same time, they create more welcoming and accessible places, capable of offering new forms of cultural experience oriented towards the future.
Moderator: Maddalena d’Alfonso
Speakers:
14:30 – 14:45 | Philippe Chiambaretta
14:45 – 15:00 | Alessia Salerno
15:00 – 15:15 | Mauro Acito
16:00 – 18:00 — A New Paradigm for the Public
Inclusion, active participation and the reduction of gender and access inequalities in the museums of the future.
In the contemporary museum, artistic and curatorial practices, together with exhibition design choices, contribute to creating more open relationships between audiences and content. Inclusive design, participatory installations and accessible tools foster a welcoming experience for visitors with different sensory and motor abilities. Careful attention to language and spatial design can help overcome inequalities in gender and access, allowing every visitor to recognise themselves in the narratives presented. In this way, exhibition design and curatorship become tools for expanding cultural participation and promoting a more equitable and shared experience.
Moderator: Cristiana Campanini
Speakers:
16:15 – 16:30 | Michele Ciacciofera
16:30 – 16:45 | Monica Rusconi
16:45 – 17:00 | Giacomo Ardesio
17:00 – 17:15 | Anna Fresa