Azerbaijani delegation at the 25th ICOM General Conference

Between the 1st and the 7th of September 2019, Kyoto (Japan) hosted the 25th ICOM General Conference. The theme for this year was Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Traditions.

Crown Prince ofJapan and his spouse, ministers, MPs, the mayor of Kyoto, and 4500 museum professionals from around the world, including 18 members of ICOM Azerbaijan attended the opening ceremony. Since 1948, every three years, ICOM gathers the international museum community around a theme of interest to facilitate cultural exchange and promote international cooperation.

Dr Shirin Melikova, President of ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee, Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, made a presentation The Land of the Rising Sun and the Land of Fire: Intersection Points at ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Decorative Arts and Design (ICDAD).

Alla Bayramova, Director of the State Museum of Musical Culture of Azerbaijan, delivered two presentations: The Club of Music Lovers as an Example of Sustainable Cultural Activity at ICOM International Committee for Literary and Composers’ Museums (ICLCM), and The Role of Education in the Development of the Musical Culture of Azerbaijan and the Museum’s Contribution to Education at ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Musical Instruments (CIMCIM).

Hajar Alkhasova, Head of Permanent Exhibitions Sector of the Expositions and International Relations Department of Icherisheher Museum Center, gave a presentation City Archeology in Icherisheher at the ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Archaeology and History (ICMAH).

Independent curator Asli Samadova made a presentation Woman’s Voice: Tradition, Fashion, and Elegance in the Caucasus and Beyond at ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Costume (Costume), and Exhibitions of Our National Heritage Project at the International Committee for Exhibitions and Exchanges (ICEE).

As part of the conference, Shirin Melikova was invited to lead a one-hour mentorship session on Museum Management, organized specifically for young museum professionals. In addition, two representatives of ICOM Azerbaijan have been elected board members of two ICOM committees. Hajar Alkhasova became a board member of ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Archaeology and History (ICMAH); Rema Zeynalova, an employee of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, has been elected a board member of ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Ethnography (ICME).

Notably, Baku was elected as a host for 2020 annual conferences of International Committee for Museums of Ethnography (ICME) and InterCOM, and ICLCM.

Further, ICOM members re-elected Suay Aksoy as a President of ICOM and vote for a new board of directors. Five representatives of the Azerbaijani delegation took part in the vote.

After a lengthy discussion, the 25th ICOM General Assembly decided to postpone a vote on a new definition for museums.