Omar Id Tnaine

Id Tnaine Omar
Omar Id Tnaine

Conference Report. December 2025

As a recipient of the CIMAM Travel Grant for 2025, I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the 57th CIMAM Annual Conference, titled “Enduring Game: Expanding New Models of Museum Making”, held in Turin, Italy, from 28 to 30 November 2025. This grant enabled me to participate fully in an enriching gathering of global museum professionals, hosted by key Turinese institutions including Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, and GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, with support from Fondazione per l’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT and OGR Torino.

The conference theme, guided by the mantra “Of Necessity, Virtue” (inspired by Stoic philosophy), invited critical reflection on the evolving role of contemporary art museums amid global challenges - economic pressures, ecological crises, decolonial imperatives, and technological disruptions. Chaired by Chus Martínez (Director, Institute Art Gender Nature, Basel), the Content Committee crafted a program that emphasized innovative, sustainable, and inclusive museum models, blending keynotes, panels, case studies, and site visits.

Key insights from lectures and discussions

The three days were structured around daily mottos, starting with explorations of “Doing Less vs. Doing More” on Day 1. Keynote speakers (introduced by Victoria Noorthoorn) provided provocative openings, addressing how museums can navigate constraints creatively - turning necessity into virtuous, resilient practices. Discussions highlighted the need for museums to shift from expansionist models toward slower, more ethical engagements with collections, communities, and the environment. Particularly resonant for me were sessions on decolonial approaches and global South perspectives. As someone working on cultural property restitution in African contexts, I found the debates on “practice-based culture” and “life-intelligent” institutions profoundly relevant. Contributions from committee members like Francesco Manacorda (Castello di Rivoli) and Davide Quadrio (MAO Museo d’Arte Orientale) underscored Turin's own hybrid cultural landscape, blending European modernism with broader influences.

Networking with fellow grantees (37 professionals from 20 countries) and established directors fostered valuable exchanges. Conversations around restitution, vernacular memories, and transnational collaborations echoed my on-going research, offering new frameworks for rethinking museum roles in post-colonial settings.

Exhibitions and Site Visits

The program included guided afternoon visits to Turin's leading contemporary art spaces, providing tangible examples of innovative museum making: Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea: Explored on-going exhibitions emphasizing performative and site-specific works, illustrating adaptive curation in historic spaces.

  • Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo: A highlight was the curator-led tour of collections and temporary shows, showcasing support for emerging artists and experimental formats.
  • GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea: Focused on modern Italian art intersecting with global dialogues, reinforcing themes of plural temporalities and cultural hybridity.
  • Additional insights from OGR Torino as the opening venue, a repurposed industrial site turned innovation hub, exemplified sustainable reuse of heritage architecture.

These visits demonstrated practical applications of the conference's ideas: immersive, community-oriented spaces that prioritize dialogue over spectacle. 

Personal reflections and knowledge gained

Attending CIMAM 2025 as a grantee from an emerging economy context was transformative. The emphasis on “expanding new models” challenged Eurocentric paradigms, amplifying voices from the Global South and Diasporas. For my practice - focused on Moroccan and North African contemporary art, heritage transmission, and restitution - the conference provided tools to advocate for decentralized, vernacular-informed museum practices back home. I return inspired to integrate these insights into upcoming projects, including potential collaborations with African institutions ahead of CIMAM 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The grant not only facilitated participation but amplified underrepresented perspectives, aligning perfectly with CIMAM's mission.

Thank you to CIMAM, the funders (including Getty Foundation and others), and the Turin hosts for this invaluable experience. I look forward to contributing further to the network.

Biography

Omar Id Tnaine has served as the Curator of the Agadir Art Museum since 2023. Previously, he held the position of Deputy Curator at the Musée des Confluences – Dar El Bacha in Marrakech (2017–2023) and was Assistant Curator at the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets – Dar Si Said in the same city (2016–2017).

With an academic background in sociology (BA), museology and heritage (MA), and information and communication sciences (PhD), he brings over 10 years of experience in the cultural sector, specializing in visual arts and audiovisual media. An active photographer since 2000, he is also a member of the Agadir Photographic Club.

His research includes numerous publications, such as a book on Amazigh cinema (2006) and an upcoming work on Amazigh filmography. He is currently developing a book project on art museums in Morocco. He has curated multiple heritage and art exhibitions in Morocco and France, regularly contributes to blogs on Moroccan artists and exhibitions, and participates in international conferences, including recent events by COMCOL/CAMOC (Amsterdam) and AVICOM (Turin, Italy).

Omar Id Tnaine, Curator at Agadir Museum of Art in Agadir, Morocco, has been awarded by the Saastamoinen Foundation.