The first Next In Summit, which brought together museum officials, architects, artists and multidisciplinary experts in Madrid, ended on Thursday with a vindication of the museography sector as a driving agent of culture, economic growth and sustainable development.
Organized by Acciona Cultura with the aim of establishing international networks, it was attended by representatives from museums such as the Prado, the Orsay, the Orangerie, the Victoria and Albert Museum or the Louvre Abu Dhabi, among others.
On the opening day of these days, Sheika Reem al Thani, acting vice-CEO of Exhibitions at Qatar Museums, explained how the development of a national network of museums in her country has contributed to the creation of jobs in new sectors of activity. In her presentation, Reem al Thani stated that Qatar is experiencing a moment of tourist and cultural “boom” that is part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 strategy.
The Next In Summit was inaugurated by José Manuel Entrecanales, president and CEO of Acciona, who highlighted the role of culture, in general, and museology, in particular, as a “basic pillar of human development.” Furthermore, Entrecanales considers this sector as “a vehicle to make society more sustainable, prosperous, balanced, resilient and empathetic.” The president of Acciona quoted the French writer André Malraux stating that “culture makes man something more than an accident of the universe.”
Throughout these two days, representatives of the main museums in the world – Museo Nacional del Prado, Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie-Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Victoria and Albert Museum Louvre Abu Dhabi, among others – have reviewed the role of their respective institutions in local society and culture. They have also shared success stories of both their permanent collections and their temporary exhibitions, whose role in energizing the museum industry was claimed by different participants in the round tables.
“Temporary exhibitions are one of the main assets for energizing museums and attracting the public,” remarked Christian Wacker, museum manager, archaeologist and historian.
Architecture, as an essential element in cultural identity, has also been another topic of discussion at these conferences. Frida Escobedo, director of Taller Frida Escobedo in Mexico, has highlighted the role of museums as “inclusive and equitable spaces” in cities.
For her part, the architect, also Mexican, Tatiana Bilbao, stressed that “beyond the form” of the building, the key is in the combination “of what happens inside and outside.” “That has been a fundamental change that transforms architecture into a collective act.”
For his part, the Turkish artist, Refik Anadol, a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence for the creation of large-scale immersive art, has been in charge of analyzing the relationship between art and innovation in a conference titled ‘Can Do machines dream of art?’
The NEXT In Summit has been organized by Acciona Cultura, an interdisciplinary company specialized in the design and production of events, museums, exhibitions, expo pavilions and interiors. With a career backed by projects in 43 countries, it has 250 international awards under its belt.
Among the museums in which he has participated are the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest in the world of its category; the House of European History in Brussels or the Olympic and Sports Museum in Qatar, among others.
Since 1990, Acciona Cultura has been developing sustainable solutions in museums and art centers, as well as international and universal exhibitions, in which it expresses its creative uniqueness and innovative capacity throughout the value chain.
