 ICDAD

Due to the pandemic situation, the ICDAD board decided to postpone the deadline of the annual call for conference papers to June 30, 2020.

As this is a rapidly-evolving situation, it is not possible to provide advice about travel in the near future. Also, we do not know what the financial situation in the museums will be after shorter or longer periods of closedown. For the moment we have decided to go on planning the conference in Lisbon on October 14-16, 2020. Therefore, we encourage you to participate in the round of call for papers and would like to inform you that alternatives are considered currently for the conference timing and format. You will be informed by the end of May about all possible changes in the plans.

Stay safe!

The 2021 Annual Conference and General Assembly of ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Decorative Arts and Design will take place at the National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon, Portugal (plus two days for the post conference tour to Coimbra and Porto).

• Call for Papers (before postponement to 2021)

Save the Date: ICOM Dubai 2025 General Conference, 11–17 November 2025

Museum of the Future, Dubai

Join ICOM–DESIGN for our 2025 Annual Meeting at the World Trade Centre, Dubai, during ICOM’s triennial General Conference, 11–17 November 2025. Find more information on their newly launched website: https://dubai2025.icom.museum/
 
The overall theme of ICOM Dubai is “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” with three subthemes: “Intangible Heritage,” “Digital Technologies,” and “Youth Power.”

ICOM–DESIGN is planning three separate joint sessions with the international committees GLASS, COSTUME, and DEMHIST on the theme of “Adornment and Identity.” We will also have a specially organized DESIGN IC Day touring museums and other sites in Dubai of relevance to decorative arts and design professionals. Look for a Call for Papers on this topic in the coming weeks. Presentations will likely be relatively short, 10–15 minutes, and should relate to “Adornment and Identity,” hopefully in the context of one of the conference subthemes. We will send out a mailing as soon as the CFP registration is open.

Save the Date: ICOM–DESIGN International Symposium and Post-Symposium Tour in Oslo, Norway, 28 October–1 November, 2025

Image courtesy of Nasjonalmuseet www.nasjonalmuseet.no/

In addition to its Annual Conference in Dubai, ICOM–DESIGN is also organizing a separate 2025 International Symposium on the theme of “Design Collection Displays Reassessed” at the new National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo (Nasjonalmuseet), 28–30 October, 2025. This program, organized by Nasjonalmuseet Senior Curator and ICOM–DESIGN board member Dr. Denise Hagströmer, will be followed by a special post-symposium tour to local destinations 30 October–1 November. Stay tuned for more information to come!

How do I apply?

Information on application for Dubai and Oslo will follow soon!

Proposals must be written in English, and participants will also be expected to give their presentations in English.

Presentations should be 15 minutes in length and include a visual presentation component (Powerpoint, Google Slides, etc.). Results of the conference may be published, and participants will have the opportunity to participate in the publication should that occur.

Presenters will be expected to cover their own registration and travel expenses.Travel grants for junior ICOM members (under 40 years old) will be available. Information will follow for those applications. 

Please note: ICDAD welcomes abstracts from museum professionals worldwide, members and non-members. However, all participants must be individual members (voting or non-voting) or representatives of institutional members of ICOM and ICDAD at the time of the conference. Please check with your national committee of ICOM beforehand if you are eligible for membership.

Find more information about how to become a member of ICOM and ICDAD here: https://icom.museum/en/get-involved/. 

If you are already a member of ICOM, please log in to the IRIS memberspace and choose ICDAD as your primary International Committee: https://icom-museum.force.com/login

Conference Archive

• 2025 Dubai, UAE (together with GLASS, COSTUME and DEMHIST)
• 2025 Oslo, Norway
• 2024 Salem, USA
• 2023 Lisbon, Portugal
• 2022 Prague, Czech Republic (together with COSTUME and GLASS)
• 2021 Online "Revivals"
• 2020 Online "Hidden Gems"
• 2019 Kyoto, Japan (together with ICFA and GLASS)
• 2018 Baku, Azerbaijan (together with DEMHIST)
• 2017 Miami, USA
• 2016 Milan, Italy
• 2015 Krakow and Warsaw, Poland
• 2014 Graz, Austria and Ljubljana, Slovenia
• 2013 Zurich, Switzerland
• 2011 Istanbul, Turkey
• 2010 Shanghai, China (together with DEMHIST, GLASS and ICFA)
• 2010 Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 2009 Hannover, Germany
• 2008 Zagreb, Croatia
• 2007 Vienna, Austria
• 2006 Helsinki, Finland, Tallinn, Estland and Riga, Latvia
• 2005 Oslo, Norway
• 2004 Berlin, Germany
• 2003 Genoa, Italy
• 2002 Stockholm, Sweden
• 2001 Barcelona, Spain
• 2000 New York, USA
• 1999 London, UK
• 1998 Lisbon and Porto, Portugal
• 1997 Prague, Czech Republic
• 1996 Geneva, Switzerland and Lyon, France
• 1995 Florence, Italy
• 1994 Vienna, Austria
• 1993 Berlin, Germany
• 1992 Warsaw, Poland