ICOM and CIMAM could not have found better partner institutions in Rio de Janeiro than the cultural complex of Cidade das Artes and the Museum of Modern Art (MAM). The latter was founded in 1948 as a place of experimentation, creation and research, and Cidade das Artes opened earlier this year.
The 23rd General Conference of the International Council of Museums offered a dynamic platform for exchange between professionals, and an opportunity to catch up with colleagues and meet new international peers. With a general theme of ‘Museums (memory + creativity) = social change’, different museum strategies to promote social change were presented and discussed through public presentations, workshops and visits.
The artist Tania Bruguera opened the CIMAM 2013 Annual Conference introducing the Immigrant Movement International thus questioning the temporality of museums and their ability to produce long-term projects. Over three days we examined the ‘New Dynamics in Museums: Curator, Artwork, Public, Governance’ with case studies, keynotes and panel discussions. Several off-site visits to galleries and museums were organised each afternoon, the Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) with the display of the Fadel Collection, being one of the highlights of my trip.
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