International Conference
"Museums and Sustainability. Needs and Opportunities."
II Edition | November 27, 2025
The conference is co-organised with ICOM-ICAMT, in collaboration with the Fondazione Luigi Rovati.
With the support of Intiraimi s.r.l., Goppion, Md’A Design Agency, APMG International and D-LAB Training & Consulting.
Promoting Museum Leadership Through an International Conference
Beyond safeguarding collections, museums hold a wealth of historical and scientific knowledge that can be shared with the wider community, contributing to social well-being and helping to reduce interpersonal conflicts. They can also reduce their environmental impact and develop new sustainable administrative and conservation practices, making use of their resources for educational purposes.
The international conference Museums in Sustainability aims to explore the current state of, and opportunities arising from, the transition towards sustainability, which, despite having been underway for more than a decade, remains challenging to fully implement.
Sustainability goals are often perceived as complex to integrate into day-to-day management, and many institutions struggle to effectively engage their internal resources in addressing these challenges through a holistic approach. Since 2015, environmental sustainability has become increasingly urgent, with issues such as global warming, the scarcity of natural resources and pollution gaining prominence. The relationship between culture and sustainability is now considered strategic by organisations such as the European Union, UNESCO and ICOM, which highlight the essential contribution of culture to building a sustainable future.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development seeks to promote peace and prosperity and to combat poverty, inequality and climate change through its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within this framework, culture and museums are called upon to play a central role in driving change towards a more sustainable world. Yet questions remain as to how these institutions can effectively contribute, and what their actual responsibilities and opportunities are.
Under the patronage of Regione Lombardia, the Municipality of Milan, the City of Turin, Fondazione Cariplo, and the Order of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects and Conservators of the Province of Milan.
Informations
When
November 27, 2025
from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 a.m.
Where
Fondazione Luigi Rovati
Corso Venezia, 52
20121 Milan
Who is it for
Admission is free and open to all, subject to prior registration via the dedicated link.
Architects are eligible to receive 3 professional training credits (CFP) for the morning session and 4 CFP for the afternoon session, subject to a minimum attendance of 100%. Signing the attendance sheet on site is mandatory.
The Museums, Institutions and Exhibitions We Have Discussed
Altare del Tempo e dell'Acqua Feconda Fanano
Fondazione Luigi Rovati Milano
Kröller-Müller Museum
Venice Biennale, Italian Pavilion
Fondazione Prada Milano
Metropolitan Museum New York
TAM - Tower Art Museum Matera
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Cenacolo Vinciano
Centre Pompidou Massy
Fondazione Torino Musei
Museo Civico Archeologico Delta Antico Comacchio
Victoria and Albert Museum Londra
Fondazione Zegna Biella
Museo della Civiltà Contadina Stabio
La Collezione Farnesina Roma
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 significant female representation 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
Through the creation of networks connecting public institutions, foundations, professionals and cultural organisations at both national and international level.
Gender Equality and Female Representation
More than 60% of the institutional representatives attending and invited to the conference are women. This figure reflects the initiative’s commitment to promoting the reduction of the gender gap in the cultural and museum sectors.
The strong representation of women across academic, managerial and creative fields is a distinctive feature of the project, expressing a vision that recognises gender balance as a strategic driver of innovation, quality and sustainability.
Language Mediation
Display & Design ETS actively supports the university and school communities, recognising language skills as an essential tool for fostering the internationalisation of the cultural sector.
With this in mind, a partnership has been established with the Istituto Società Umanitaria – Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici P.M. Loria, with the aim of providing students with concrete opportunities to apply their skills in cultural and professional contexts. The active participation of students strengthens the dialogue between academic education and professional practice, creating opportunities for exchange and growth.
Co-organisation: ICOM-ICAMT
ICAMT is one of ICOM’s leading International Committees, with a network of nearly 700 members worldwide, including architects, designers, engineers and museum professionals. The Committee provides support and advice 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 converted into museums.
ICAMT promotes dialogue and cooperation among its members, providing an international forum for discussion and exchange among 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 across its website, newsletters, social media channels, and the annual and triennial meetings promoted by ICOM.
In collaboration with: Fondazione Luigi Rovati
The Fondazione Luigi Rovati, inaugurated in 2022 and housed in an elegant historic building in Milan’s Porta Venezia district (Corso Venezia 52), is a cultural centre bringing together ancient and contemporary art in an exhibition itinerary across two levels. Recognised as a museum in 2023, it houses a significant Etruscan collection alongside works by twentieth- and twenty-first-century masters such as Andy Warhol, Ai Weiwei, Luigi Ontani and Giulio Paolini. Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, the museum’s exhibition design features evocative underground spaces inspired by geological formations for the Etruscan collection, while the restored piano nobile creates a dialogue between contemporary art and historic architecture. The complex is completed by a bookshop, café-bistro and an inner garden with an exhibition pavilion, all freely accessible to the public.
The Foundation is conceived as both a tangible and intangible infrastructure inspired by the figure of Luigi Rovati, a physician and pharmaceutical entrepreneur who viewed culture as a tool for research, social innovation and well-being. Through multidisciplinary projects, educational programmes, inclusion initiatives, research and training, the Foundation fosters dialogue between art, society and health.
