Undoing conflict in museums: materiality and meaning of museum architecture and exhibition design
25th to 27th October 2023
University of Porto (Porto, Portugal)
The International Committee for Architecture and Museum Techniques (ICAMT) of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) annually organises an important international conference that gathers experts from different areas, namely museography, museum studies, architecture and exhibition design. The ICAMT 49th International Conference 2023 will be hosted by the University of Porto between 25 and 27 October 2023, under the theme “Undoing conflict in museums: materiality and meaning of museum architecture and exhibition design”. The Transdisciplinary Research Centre “Culture, Space and Memory” (CITCEM) and the Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies (CEAU) are the entities responsible for the organisation of this event.
Call for Papers | Deadline: September 5, 2023, midnight GMT
TOPICS
Key Theme 1 – Symbols of Conflict
Architectural and exhibition design processes, particularly experiences developed around difficult/contested/controversial heritage.
How architecture and exhibition design incorporate processes associated with the slow memory of places and its conflicts. How is slow memory defined in these contexts?
The role of museum architecture and exhibition design in the processes of revealing, concealing, and transforming conflict.
Key Theme 2 – Processes and Conflict
Dialogues between the global North-South and South-South in museum architecture and exhibition design projects dealing with conflict.
Conflicts that take place in the process of developing museum architecture and exhibition design projects that look precisely at conflict-related issues and ways to deal with them (e.g., architects vs museum professionals)
Museum architecture and exhibition design as a tool to develop critical awareness around conflict processes.
Key Theme 3 – Dealing with Conflict
How can lighting, climate control, storage, and security systems (among other “invisible” systems in museums) produce conflict zones (e.g., conservation/access) or contribute to dealing with conflict in a museum context?
Resignification of interpretative devices with conflict markers through museum architecture and exhibition design.
Climate crisis and environmental sustainability: emerging conflicts and possibilities for action worldwide.
Key Theme 4 – Healing, Resistance and the Future
The power of museum architecture and exhibition design in fulfilling the social mission of the museum when dealing with conflict.
Future perspectives for exhibition design and museum architecture in dealing with conflict.
Museum architecture and exhibition design as promoters of healing and resistance.
