GO! Borderless Museum Conference 2025 - ICOM EUROPE

18–21 May 2025 | 📍 Nova Gorica (Slovenia) – Gorizia (Italy) | European Capital of Culture GO! 2025

About the Conference

In 2025, Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy) will share the prestigious title of European Capital of Culture (ECoC GO! 2025)—a groundbreaking cross-border collaboration symbolizing cultural unity. Under the theme “GO! Borderless,” this initiative fosters cultural exchange and inclusivity across national borders.

At the heart of this initiative is EPIC (European Platform for the Interpretation of the 20th Century), a participatory museum designed to amplify diverse voices and promote shared democratic values.

The GO! Borderless Museum Conference will explore how museums can redefine narratives, foster inclusivity, and serve communities in today’s evolving world.

Key Themes & Topics

🔹 Exchanging Best Practices: Museums as borderless platforms of knowledge
🔹 Ethics in Museums: Curatorial roles and dilemmas
🔹 Museums Serving Communities: Strengthening connections
🔹 Hidden Frontiers: Plural communities reflecting on history and shaping the future
🔹 Transnational and Cross-Border Museum Collaboration: Opportunities & challenges
🔹 Museums & European Capital of Culture: Sharing experiences

📍 Conference Venues

May 18–19: EPICenter, Transalpina Square, Nova Gorica
May 20: Auditorium della Cultura Friulana, Gorizia
May 21 (Optional Excursion): WALK of PEACE trail

Call for Participants

Museum professionals, researchers, and students are invited to engage in dialogue, share best practices, and explore new approaches in museum work.

Conference Language: English (presentations also allowed in French & Spanish)

Registration & Fees

Secure your spot! Limited spaces available.

Early bird rates (until March 31, 2025):
✔ ICOM Members: €75
✔ Non-Members: €85
✔ Students & Retired Professionals: €55

Standard rates (until May 12, 2025):
✔ ICOM Members: €95
✔ Non-Members: €105
✔ Students & Retired Professionals: €65

🔹 Speakers & Moderators: Flat fee of €50
🔹 Optional Excursion (May 21): €20 (full day) / €15 (half day)

📌 Registration includes: Opening reception, coffee breaks, light lunches, guided museum tours, and conference materials.

Conference Programme

Sunday, May 18, 2025 | EPICenter, Transalpina Square

🔹 16:30 – Registration
🔹 17:00 – Opening Remarks: Mayors of Nova Gorica & Gorizia, Organizers, Government Representatives
🔹 17:30 – Keynote: Emma Nardi (ICOM President) – The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities
🔹 18:00 – Keynote Speaker: Sharon Macdonald (TBA)
🔹 19:00 – Presentation: GO! 2025 Borderless ECoC Programmes
🔹 19:30 – Reception

Monday, May 19, 2025 | EPICenter, Transalpina Square

Session: Museums as Borderless Platforms of Knowledge (9:00 – 10:00)

Stanislava Paunović (University of Glasgow) – Engaging Imagination, Emotions, and Bodies: Inclusive Practices in Modern Art Museums
Michela Perrotta & Elena Minarelli (Peggy Guggenheim Collection) – Io vado al museo / I go to the museum
Joni Karjalainen & Titta Kallio-Seppä (Museum of Torne Valley) – Our Shared Museum of Tornio and Haparanda
Lidija Nikočević (Ethnographic Museum of Istria) – Tightrope Walk: Cross-Border Cooperation on Difficult Heritage Issues

Session: Ethics in Museums – Curatorial Dilemmas (11:15 – 12:45)

Suy Lan Hopmann (Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin) – How to Deal with BIPoC Staff in Participatory Exhibitions?
Manuel Scortichini (University of Camerino) – Curatorial Ethics in the Digital Age: Navigating Data-Driven Dilemmas
Tanja Roženbergar (Slovene Ethnographic Museum) – The Museum and the Isolated Individual
Aleksandra Berberih Slana (Zagreb City Museum) – Tradition and Inclusivity at the Zagreb City Museum

Session: Museums Serving Communities (14:00 – 15:30)

David Kožuh (Goriški Muzej) – Art Beyond the Visible
Elena Corradini, Sara Uboldi & Francesco Gherardini (University of Modena) – TOUCHWELL: Archaeological Museum Collections for Wellbeing
Tanja Kocković Zaborski (Ethnographic Museum) – RemekTijelo: Addressing Mental Health Stigma through Museums
Francesca Monachino & Team (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia) – Accessibility for Individuals with ASD: Digital Approaches for Cultural Engagement
Corinne Brenko & Nejc Kovačič (Museum & Galleries of Ljubljana) – Breaking Barriers: 40 Years of Ljubljana’s LGBT Community
Mario Buletić & Jan Franjul (Ethnographic Museum of Istria) – Encounters Beyond Boundaries: The Coming Out Museum

Guided Tours (17:20 – 19:00) – EPIC, Border Museum, Smuggling Museum

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | Auditorium della Cultura Friulana, Gorizia

Keynote (9:00 – 10:00) Charles Esche (Van Abbemuseum, ICOM Italy) – Hidden Frontiers: Museums and Plural Communities Reflecting on History

Session: Hidden Frontiers – Plural Communities & History (11:15 – 12:45)

Kristina T. Simončič (Galerije B. Jakac) – Cisterscapes: Unity in Diversity through Cistercian Landscapes
Constanze Itzel (House of European History) – Go Europe! Transcending Borders in Museum Narratives
Roberta Altin & Katja Hrobat Virloget (University of Trieste) – Material Traces of Borders and Migration
Reem Elshorbagy (Grand Egyptian Museum) – The Role of Traveling Exhibitions in Cross-Border Collaboration

Session: Cross-Border Museum Collaboration (14:00 – 15:30)

Alenka Černelič Krošelj & Jurica Sabol – Borderless: Croatian Zagorje & Posavje Museum Network
Michele Toss & Anselmo Vilardi – Euregio Digital History Museum: A New Transnational Narrative
Darja Komar & Team – Opportunities in the Cross-Border Karawanken/Karavanke UNESCO Global Geopark
Uršula Lipovec Čebron & Marijana Hameršak – Museums as Counter-Commemorative Spaces

Guided Tours (17:20 – 19:00) – Gorizia Castle, City Center & Museums

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 | Optional Excursions

Full-Day Trip: Walk of Peace Trail (€20)
Half-Day Trip: TBA (€15)

Venue Highlights & Cultural Visits

EPICenter, Nova Gorica – A cultural hub for participatory museum practices.
Auditorium della Cultura Friulana, Gorizia – A historic venue hosting key discussions.
WALK of PEACE Trail – Explore WWI heritage and borderland history (Optional).

Accommodation & Travel

🔹 Recommended hotels in Slovenia & Italy with ECoC GO! 2025 booking references.
🔹 Participants cover their own travel & lodging.

Contact & More Info

For registration, agenda updates, and inquiries: epic@go2025.eu

🌐 Follow GO! 2025 for updates: Website

Join us in Nova Gorica & Gorizia for a borderless museum experience!

Europe