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Museums Uniting a Divided World: From Shared Histories to Common FuturesIn a time marked by geopolitical tension, cultural shifts and environmental uncertainty, museums are increasingly called upon to serve as spaces for dialogue, care and shared understanding. The ICOM Nord Spring Conference 2026 brings together museum professionals from across the Nordic and Baltic region to reflect on how museums can contribute to connection in a divided world, fostering a sense of shared ground, belonging and responsibility in times of change.
Taking place in Reykjavík on 12 May 2026, the conference aligns with this year's International Museum Day theme, Museums Uniting a Divided World, and is framed by the subtitle From Shared Histories to Common Futures. Through keynote contributions, panel discussions and site visits, the programme explores questions of conflict and cooperation, restitution and responsibility, as well as the role of museums in shaping understandings of the past, present and future.
Registration is now open:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbFg9hHJgXzOo3aXQSU97dstGNt7cAav9eoBYOwkt3lB7qBw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=113389446898704094061
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PROGRAMME
Nordic House (until 15:00)
9:00-9:30 Sign-in
9:30-10:00 Welcome and opening:
- Hólmar Hólm, Chair of ICOM Iceland, and Eero Ehanti, Chair of ICOM Nord
- Antonio Rodriguez, President of ICOM, via video
- Sabina Westerholm, Director of the Nordic House
10:00-10:15 Short break
10:15-12:00 Morning session, keynotes:
- Handritin heim: Repatriation, Responsibility and the New Home of the Icelandic Manuscripts in Edda,
Guðrún Nordal, Director of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies
- On Repatriation in the Now,
Eero Ehanti, Chair of ICOM Nord
- On Areas in Conflict: Insights from Ukraine and Greenland,
Søren la Cour Jensen, Chair of Blue Shield Denmark
12:00-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Post-lunch session:
- A Home for Nature: Museums and Ecology in the 21st Century,
Ragnhildur Guðmundsdóttir, Director of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History
- From Shared Histories to Common Futures:
Panel with representatives from each National Committee
15:00-17:30 Afternoon museum visits nearby:
- The National Museum of Iceland: Making of a Nation (guided tour)
- The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies: World in Words (guided tour)
19:00 Conference dinner: La Primavera, Harpa
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CONFERENCE FEE AND REGISTRATION
With lunch, coffee and dinner:
120 € / 17,000 ISK (non-ICOM members: 140 € / 20,000 ISK).
With lunch and coffee only:
40 € / 5,800 ISK (non-ICOM members: 60 € / 8,600 ISK).
The conference dinner includes a three-course meal (drinks not included).
Registration is open until 28 April 2026:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbFg9hHJgXzOo3aXQSU97dstGNt7cAav9eoBYOwkt3lB7qBw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=113389446898704094061
Early registration is recommended due to limited capacity.
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CONTACT
If you have any questions regarding the conference or payment, please contact Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir, conference coordinator, at [email protected].
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The programme is presented by ICOM Nord and ICOM Iceland, in collaboration with the Icelandic Museums Association and the Museum Council of Iceland, with generous support from the Museum Fund.
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Event Venue
Norræna húsið The Nordic House, Bókmenntahátíð í Reykjavík / the Reykjavik International Literary Festival, 102 Reykjavíkurborg, Ísland, Reykjavík, Iceland
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
