The 2019 Annual Conference of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM) will be held in Sydney, Australia, on 15-17 November, hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. A post-conference tour has been organized to Brisbane and Stradbroke Island and will include guided tours by Aboriginal custodians on country on 18–19 November 2019. Over three days, this year’s conference, titled The 21^st Century Art Museum: Is Context Everything?, will address the evolving relationship between core museological practices and values (related to artists, collections, custodianship, scholarship, display, education and the public) and the necessary responsiveness of museums to context in their drive to remain relevant, innovative and accessible. Keynote speakers include Bruce Pascoe, Aboriginal writer and anthropologist discussing "Challenging the Narrative: Indigenous Perspectives"; Franklin Sirmans, Director Perez Art Museum Miami looking at the "Future of Collections"; and Sally Tallant, Director Queens Museum examining how we can go "Beyond the Wall". The conference programme is available on the conference website, where you can also find further details about speakers.

Post-conference tour

The post-conference tour will take participants to Brisbane and Stradbroke Island, in Queensland, on 18 – 19 November. It offers a unique opportunity for industry leaders to come together and experience the stunning destination of Australia’s northeast coast. The two-day optional programme includes visits to the foremost contemporary art museums and artists’ studios in Brisbane and will conclude with guided tours by Aboriginal custodians on country, on a return day cruise from Meeanjin (Brisbane CBD) to Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island).

Further information

The Annual Conference is CIMAM’s most important meeting throughout the year. It is attended by directors and curators of modern and contemporary art museums and collections and independent professionals and it is a great opportunity to be involved on the international contemporary art scene. The first CIMAM Annual Conference took place on 1962 in The Hague. Since then the Committee has celebrated 50 conferences that have been held in over 30 different cities around the globe. For further information about the CIMAM 2019 Annual Conference in Sydney, please visit http://cimam.org/cimam-annual-conference/annual-conference-2019-sydney/