Enduring Game: Expanding New Models of Museum Making
Barcelona, May 14, 2025 — The International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM) is pleased to announce the title and abstract of its 57th Annual Conference, to be held in Turin, Italy, from November 28 to 30, 2025.
Titled “Enduring Game: Expanding New Models of Museum Making”, with the guiding mantra “Of Necessity Virtue”, this year’s edition invites museum professionals to come together in a spirit of critical inquiry and collective imagination to explore the evolving role of contemporary art institutions in an increasingly complex global context.
This edition marks CIMAM’s return to Italy after nearly five decades, since its last Italian gathering in Bologna and Prato in 1976. The 2025 conference will start on November 28 at OGR Torino, innovation and culture hub of Fondazione CRT, and will end on November 30.
The event, organized by CIMAM, is supported by Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT and Fondazione CRT and co-hosted by Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Fondazione Torino Musei and Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, involving museums and cultural institutions of the city. This collaboration among Turin’s leading cultural institutions emphasizes the city’s commitment to fostering contemporary art and cultural dialogue.
Enduring Game: Expanding New Models of Museum Making
Of Necessity Virtue
Museums are active agents of social values. Understanding museums and their teams within a social and economic context goes far beyond any standardized political framework or performance checklist.
Rather than interpreting the real negatively, we must aim to invent the future museum from the new orders emerging. The aim of the CIMAM Annual Conference is therefore to analyze the current state, while predicting the future trajectories in contemporary art institutions. This year’s Annual Conference is all about combining the act of listening to voices that inspire and ignite our minds with the exercise of finding a language to describe emerging paradigms, emerging ways of organizing our teams, programs, contents. The museum’s tongue in times of a deep disregard of culture is fundamental to motivate the citizenship, to educate, to guard not only works and practices but freedom and the right to hope for an equal world.
This year the conference is designed as three collective working sessions around the paradox of having to face important and hard systematic changes – cuts and a growing climate of political and social antagonism – while inventing and revitalizing the social, pedagogical, and cultural mission of the multiple institutions dedicated to contemporary art.
Conference Program Overview
The Content Committee proposes a carefully choreographed three-day program to foster deep engagement and shared reflection. Each day will open with a welcome address and by an artist's intervention, followed by a 40-minute keynote address and by complementary performative acts, setting a tone of embodied and intellectual attentiveness.
Participants will then engage in working sessions in small groups, designed not as conventional discussions but as laboratories of thought, to create a climate in which more general, complex, and abstract reflections coexist with an active conversation about the problems and strategies that each of us considers relevant in the current situation. Listening to and contributing one's own opinions in equal measure is one of the goals of this year's conference.
To ensure that the wealth of these exchanges contributes to an architecture of shared knowledge, each day will conclude with a brief reporting session, synthesizing key ideas and outlining common and divergent perspectives.
Day 1: Doing Less vs. Doing Differently
The first day will open with a thought aimed at situating and better understanding the paradigm shift we are facing, so motivating participants to actively participate in the conference by breaking into groups with guest moderators. These initial sessions are intended to challenge ingrained assumptions and create a shared vocabulary for thinking about institutional transformation. By focusing on “doing less” not as withdrawal but as recalibration, we invite a reconsideration of the qualitative over the quantitative in cultural work.
Day 2: Mapping Desires
On this day, after the performance and keynote, a series of short presentations will invite delegates to articulate their pragmatic aspirations and to imagine institutional models that respond critically and constructively to the changing realities of the cultural sector, avoiding utopian idealism in favor of a grounded and resilient imagination.
Day 3: Transactions and Transmission. Tactics of Togetherness
On day three, we propose breaking into groups again to examine how museum communication as a transmission is perceived by audiences, interrogating the frameworks through which messages are transmitted—what is being communicated, how it is conveyed, and to what extent publics are meaningfully informed and engaged. At the same time, the sessions will explore the notion of 'transaction' not merely as an exchange of information, but as a model for expanded relationality—opening new potentialities for co-production and collaborative models of working within and beyond institutional boundaries.
This year’s conference positions itself as a forum for dialogue and imagination of the museum of the future, where theoretical and abstract thinking intersects with practical, grounded strategies. It is a gathering shaped by the belief that through collective, participatory engagement, museums can regain their balance and reaffirm their relevance in a fractured world.
Post-Conference Tour - Contemporary art in Langhe and Milan
1 & 2 December 2025
The post-conference tour will kick off on 1 December in the Langhe, renowned for its rolling vineyards and culinary delights. This region surrounding Turin has also become a vibrant, ever-growing hub for contemporary art.
A network of site-specific installations and open-air museums has transformed the landscape into a dynamic cultural itinerary. Some notable highlights include a striking multicoloured mural work by Liam Gillick and Hito Steyerl and a shimmering aluminium sculpture overlooking spectacular vineyards by French sculptor Jean-Marie Appriou, transforming the villages of Roddino & Neviglie; The Cappella del Barolo, a once abandoned chapel has been completely transformed by artists Sol Lewit and David Tremlett, and has become symbolic of the region's fusion of art and landscape; the Castelnuovo Calcea, Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Camo Art Parks showcase large scale works by acclaimed artists like Carsten Höller, Marguerite Humeau, Ugo Nespolo and Emanuele Luzzati and many more, which visitors can explore by taking different walking paths. As well as taking a tour with an art historian to explore the region, we will also have the chance to do some wine tasting, and enjoy the ridiculously good food, spend a night in the charming town of Alba nestled in the heart of truffle country.
On 2 December we will head to Milan where we spend the day exploring dynamic art spaces such as the Prada Foundation and Hangar Bicocca.
Registration and Travel Grants
Early bird registration for CIMAM's Institutional Members opens on May 14, 2025, and will be active until May 30.
CIMAM will soon open the Call for Travel Grant Applications to support individuals' curatorial and research development through attendance at the Annual Conference.
The CIMAM 2025 Annual Conference is conceived and organized by the Content Steering Committee, made up of:
- Chus Martinez, (Chair of the Contents Committee), Director of the Institute of Art Gender Nature in Basel.
- Chiara Bertola, Director, GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Torino, Turin, Italy.
- Bernardo Follini, Senior Curator, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy.
- Leevi Haapala, Dean, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Arts, Helsinki, Finland.
- Malgorzata Ludwisiak, Ph.D., Museum Management Expert / Freelance Curator / Academic Teacher, Warsaw, Poland.
- Francesco Manacorda, Director, Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin, Italy.
- Victoria Noorthoorn, Director, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Davide Quadrio, Director, Museo d’Arte Orientale (MAO), Turin, Italy.
- Kamini Sawhney, Head, Public Arts Projects, BlrHubba, Museum Management Expert, Independent Curator, Bangalore, India.
About CIMAM
CIMAM (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art) is the only global network dedicated to directors and curators of modern and contemporary art museums. Founded in The Hague in 1962, CIMAM is an Affiliated Organization of ICOM (International Council of Museums).
CIMAM envisions a world where the cultural, social, and economic impact of modern and contemporary art museums, collections, and archives is widely recognized. To achieve this, CIMAM brings together museum directos and curators to debate, share knowledge, and address key issues through initiatives such as the Annual Conference and Rapid Response Webinars.
The organization provides support aligned with the ethical values of the ICOM and CIMAM Code of Ethics, establishing guidelines, protocols, and best practices through programs like Museum Watch, Sustainability and Ecology in Museum Practice, and the Outstanding Museum Practice Award.
CIMAM also fosters sector growth and international cooperation through its Travel Grant Program, enabling professionals from emerging economies to participate in the global museum community.
Led by an international Board of Directors and Curators, and managed by its Executive Office in Barcelona (Spain), CIMAM relies on the collective expertise of its members to advance the sector and realize this shared vision.
About Fondazione CRT
Established in 1991, Fondazione CRT is the third largest Italian philanthropic institution by asset. It has granted a total of more than EUR 2 billion for over 43,000 projects in the fields of art and culture, research, youth training, fight against poverty, improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities, environmental protection, and innovation. In addition, it has entirely redeveloped the OGR Torino, transforming it into an international center of technological and cultural innovation.
Fondazione CRT is active in the main national and international networks of philanthropy.
Fondazione CRT also operates through a plurality of entities that contribute to the growth of the region: OGR-CRT (for design, production and communication in the fields of tech, art and contemporary culture at OGR Torino), la Scialuppa CRT Onlus Fondazione Anti Usura (for the prevention of usury), Fondazione per l'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT (to support and enhance the contemporary art system), Fondazione Sviluppo e Crescita CRT (for patient investments with declared social impact); Fondazione ULAOP CRT Onlus (for actions in the field of childhood).
About Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT
The Fondazione per l'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, an art-oriented organisation of the Fondazione CRT, mainly active in the region and local area, is celebrating twenty-five years of its support to contemporary art this year. Since it was established in 2000, the Foundation has acted and aimed at promoting talent, enriching cultural heritage, and has built up an extensive collection of contemporary artworks, which has become one of the most prestigious in Italy and internationally: over 930 works by about 380 artists, with a total investment of over €41.5 million.
About Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
Since 1995 the Foundation has supported young Italian and foreign artists, paying particular attention to the commission and production of new works, and has promoted contemporary art with the aim of attracting an ever-growing public to it. For almost thirty years, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo has pursued its commitment to contemporary art and culture. Among the first private foundations opened in Italy, it can be described as an observatory on the artistic trends and cultural languages of our time, across the fields of art, music, dance, literature and design. Launched in Turin on April 1995, on the initiative of its President, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, the Foundation is a nonprofit institution that reflects a new conception of patronage, based on principles of individual responsibility and the sharing of personal passion, knowledge and resources.
The Foundation has two venues. The Turin location, opened in 2002, is a museum architecture built in a neighborhood that witnesses the city’s industrial past and its transformations. Designed by architect Claudio Silvestrin, it stands in front of the “Fergat” public garden.
Palazzo Re Rebaudengo, in Guarene, is an 18th-century residence, protected by the Superintendence of Cultural and Environmental Heritage. It is one of the historic buildings of this small village nestled among the hills of Roero, an area that with the Langhe and Monferrato is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2019, not far from the residence, the Foundation opened the San Licerio Hill Art Park to the public. Installations by artists from around the world are placed among a wild forest and the rows of a young vineyard.
At the Foundation, exhibitions are a meeting point between artists, curators and public: a space for reflection which, through the works, increases the visibility of current art, and of the reading it gives of the issues of our time (from globalization to environmentalism, from labor to new technologies); exhibitions are forums that amplify the voice of visitors and their interpretations, thanks to the conversational approach of our cultural mediation service, which is provided regularly and free of charge; the exhibition is a space for inspiration and creativity, which find a practical, living expression in workshops especially designed by the Educational Department for each different sector of our visiting public (children, adolescents, young adults, school groups, teachers, families, disabled people).
Over the years Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo has extended its expertise, which is based on the experimental approach of the institution and on the highly developed skills of its staff. Today the Foundation is an internationally acknowledged exhibition center, as well as an educational institution with a strong identity and extensive experience in training, as shown by such programs as the Residency for Young Foreign Curators, launched in 2006, by Campo, an independent course for Italian curators launched in 2012, or by periodically held study days for teachers and educators, and seminars on such topics as accessibility and cultural mediation.
About Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea
The Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea engages local and international audiences in a deeper understanding of our present times through art and culture, while contributing to the social development of its surrounding region. In addition to collecting and exhibiting artworks, the Museum is a hub for creativity, research and learning, primarily in the field of contemporary art, by reflecting on the present through a dynamic relationship with the past.
The first museum devoted to contemporary art in Italy, Castello di Rivoli is a beacon for the art world. Since it opened in 1984, it has continuously presented innovative exhibitions and radical art performances, while remaining sensitive to the unique Baroque castle that hosts it. Designed in 1718 by Filippo Juvarra, the castle is a constant source of inspiration for artists. Its architecture and history inspire the creation of new works conceived specifically for the Museum’s Permanent Collection.
While conserving and displaying works of art is a central mission of Castello di Rivoli, this represents only a part of the activities that make it a cutting-edge contemporary art museum for the 21st century. A lively center for experimentation, activities take place both in its physical spaces and online, through its website and on other digital platforms, promoting the work of artists from all generations, countries, and cultural backgrounds. Its high-quality publications are of long-lasting historical and scholarly importance.
An identity formed out of encounters and openness requires the constant re-inventing of oneself, in line with the rapid and profound changes in society. To this end, one of the distinctive features of Castello di Rivoli is its commitment to multiple fields and disciplines. The Museum frequently collaborates with other local cultural institutions, hosting theatrical performances, concerts, film and video festivals as well as seminars and conferences both on- and offsite. It also programs symposia and roundtables dedicated to other fields, from literature, philosophy and music, through to science, physics and conservation.
By operating across the region of Piedmont and city of Turin, in dialog with numerous Italian and international museums, with its curatorial department, education department, research institute, library, archives, and multimedia center, Castello di Rivoli is a key center of artistic culture.
https://www.castellodirivoli.org/
About Fondazione Torino Musei
A link between the Past, the Orient and the Future
Fondazione Torino Musei conserves and manages the historical and artistic heritage of the City of Torino.
Its mission is to preserve heritage, shape research, exhibit and communicate art collections and historical monuments, making them open and accessible to the public, thereby serving the community.
The museums managed by the Foundation are the GAM – Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, the MAO – Museo d'Arte Orientale and Palazzo Madama – Museo Civico d'Arte Antica.
Fondazione Torino Musei is the sole partner of Artissima s.r.l.
The foundation pays close attention to issues of accessibility and education, for children and young people of all ages and their families; it provides support for the development of artistic and curatorial projects on a regional level; it interacts with businesses in the territorial and international socio-economic fabric to foster collaboration between cultural and entrepreneurial players; it defines its cultural contents in relation to a perspective on the world that permits valorisation of its own heritage, programming and exporting its exhibitions.
A foundation between the Past, the Orient and the Future, to connect us and to teach us the value of sharing.