Inventing The Future: International Symposium
Exhibition Dates
- November 4, 2024
- November 6, 2024
Artist / Curator
- Future, Russia, RU
Future, Russia, RU
Speaker Presentation Time: 10 minutes
DAY 1
Date: November 4, 2024, Monday, 10:00–11:30
Location: National Center “Russia,” Krasnopresnenskaya Nab., 14, Lecture Hall (Pavilion 7)
Theme: The Museum as a Space of Meaning
The museum preserves, processes, and creates meaning, where people can look to the past and “glimpse the future.” Here, visitors encounter the legacy of entire civilizations and decide what they want to carry forward. Thus, the museum becomes not only a “temple of ancestors” but also a “school for future generations,” accessible to everyone.
On the first day of the museum congress, invited experts from Russia and abroad will discuss the future of traditional museums and their role in envisioning the future. Ahead of the session, 50 museum staff participated in a preliminary expert survey, International Science Fiction Symposium “Inventing the Future”
” Museum a Place Where the Future is Shaped”
Format: Museum Congress (short presentations and discussion)
The museum as a system that shapes the future across three domains:
- Meaning 2) Space (technology) 3) Communication
identifying likely future trends for museums and “points of discussion” that will form the basis of the dialogue.
Discussion Topics:
- How will social transformations reshape museums? Emerging trends
- What narratives will shape the museum of the future?
- What elements of preserved civilization will we carry forward?
- The museum’s educational role as the “temple of ancestors” and the “school for future generations” (N.F. Fedorov).
Schedule:
- 10:00–10:15 – Moderator’s opening remarks, presentation of survey insights.
- 10:15–10:25 – Buddha Rashmi Mani, Director, National Museum, India
Comment: Why will national museums be needed in the future, and what function will they serve? - 10:25–10:35 – Viktor Shalay, Director, State United Museum-Reserve of Far East History, named after V.K. Arseniev
Comment: Why are national museums unlikely to be replaced by global “world museums”? - 10:35–10:45 – Alexander Khramoy, Director, National Historical Museum of Belarus, Belarus
Comment: Should each country have a single entity to shape unified narratives? How should this be organized? - 10:45–10:55 – Ekaterina Pronicheva, Director, State Vladimir-Suzdal Historical, Architectural, and Art Museum-Reserve
Comment: What should the museum of the future communicate to its visitors? How can museums offer insights into the future? - 10:55–11:05 – Fayrouz Fekri, Deputy Director, National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Egypt
Comment: What aspects of past civilizations preserved in museums will we carry forward, and how? - 11:05–11:15 – Azza Alnuaimi, Head of Project Management, Museum of the Future, UAE
Comment: How can the museum “envision” and shape the future? - 11:15–11:30 – Moderator’s closing remarks, summary of key points.
DAY 2
Date: November 5, 2024, Tuesday, 12:00–13:30
Location: National Center “Russia,” Krasnopresnenskaya Nab., 14, Lecture Hall (Pavilion 7)
Theme: The Museum as a Space of Technology
The museum operates both internally and externally, interacting with both the environment and people. In step with the world, it embraces modernization, integrating technology and entering the realm of innovation. This opens unprecedented possibilities, even extending beyond physical boundaries or into virtual spaces.
A preliminary expert survey revealed that the topic of technology in museums is highly debated, with both techno-conservatives and techno-optimists emerging. Day two of the congress will focus on the museum of the future and the role of innovation within it.
Discussion Topics:
- Future organization of museum spaces
- Technologies in the museum of the future
- What will the future museum look like?
- Will museums continue to exist as part of the city, within human environments, or virtually?
Schedule:
- 12:00–12:15 – Moderator’s opening remarks, presentation of survey insights.
- 12:15–12:25 – Majed Al Mansouri, Executive Director, Museum of the Future, UAE
Comment: What technologies will future museums use, and how should the future museum space be organized? - 12:25–12:35 – Elena Mironenko, Director, ATOM Foundation; MGIMO Lecturer
Comment: Why can’t virtual museums replace traditional, “physical” museums? - 12:35–12:45 – Artyom Konovalov, Creative Director, LOOKY
Comment: Why might virtual museums become more popular and visited? - 12:45–12:55 – Dmitry Barsenkov, Director, Creative Industrial Cluster “Octava”
Comment: How will museums move beyond their own “buildings,” and what will the museum of the future in “open spaces” look like? - 12:55–13:05 – Sergey Sergeev, Director, Museum of PJSC LUKOIL
Comment: Why is IT a crucial driver for progress in museums? Why does the museum of the future need IT? - 13:05–13:15 – Oksana Bondarenko, Director, Museum of Transport, Moscow
Comment: What role will the museum have in the city of the future? - 13:15–13:30 – Moderator’s closing remarks, summary of key points.
DAY 3
Date: November 6, 2024, Wednesday, 10:00–11:30
Location: National Center “Russia,” Krasnopresnenskaya Nab., 14, Lecture Hall (Pavilion 7)
Theme: The Museum as a Space of Communication
The museum is a space where communication transcends time and borders. Even in an age of cultural clashes, it remains a “meeting place.” Above all, the museum is about people—its staff, visitors, and creators—who uphold the unity of global culture and protect it from fragmentation.
Day three of the congress will explore the museum as a network of relationships between museum workers, visitors, and artists. Another key topic will be the future of museum collaboration and diplomacy.
Discussion Topics:
- What skills will museum professionals need in the future?
- Why will people continue to visit museums?
- What role will artists play in visitor-museum communication? Will they “inhabit” museum spaces?
- The future of national museums: Globalization trends and “world museums”; museum diplomacy and collaboration.
Schedule:
- 10:00–10:10 – Moderator’s opening remarks, presentation of survey insights.
- 10:10–10:20 – Sayalbek Gizzatov, Academic Secretary, National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
Comment: Why will future generations continue to visit museums, and what role will museums play in their lives? - 10:20–10:30 – Bilgin Aygul, President, Atis Fairs Co. Inc., Turkey
Comment: What place will artists occupy in future museums? Will they “live” in museum spaces? - 10:30–10:40 – Alexander Sedov, Director General, State Museum of Oriental Art
Comment: Why must museum professionals be multiskilled, and why won’t AI replace museum roles? - 10:40–10:50 – Sui Jiang, Head of Cultural Development, Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, China
Comment: Science Fiction Museum as a platform for cultural exchange. - 10:50–11:00 – Sahar Al-Hunaidi, Cultural Advisor, Contemporary Art Platform Kuwait, Kuwait
Comment: How should museum diplomacy and international cooperation be organized in the future? - 11:00–11:10 – Raisa Bozhko, Director, Mariupol Regional Museum
Comment: Cultural appropriation: How can we preserve the integrity of world culture? - 11:10–11:20 – Andrey Shelyutto, Designer, Co-founder of Design Studio “Faro”
Comment: What will artist-museum space communication look like in the future? - 11:20–11:30 – Moderator’s closing remarks, summary of key points.