Museum Congress Held at the International Symposium “Creating the Future”

On November 6, the museum congress “The Museum as a Place for Shaping the Future” concluded at the International Symposium “Creating the Future,” held at the National Center “Russia.” Over three days, Russian and international experts discussed whether museums will be needed in the future, what they should be like, and the role of museum spaces in shaping tomorrow’s reality.

“On the first day, we discussed national and multinational aspects, on the second, how museums are places for applying new technologies, and on the third, how they can be places for shaping the future. There were very different perspectives on all three topics. Since truth emerges in debate, I think this is an excellent foundation to start formulating and implementing new ideas. We are glad to have this informative platform, and it is great that this platform is beyond traditional museum communications,” said the congress moderator, art historian, and Director of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Elizaveta Likhacheva.

Prior to the discussions, a special survey was conducted among 50 museum employees, identifying four main trends in the future development of museums. The final day of the congress focused on the museum as a communication space: the survey results led to four key predictions. The first prediction stated that people of the future would stop visiting museums; the second suggested that one of the main functions of museums would be educational; the third predicted that artificial intelligence would replace certain “museum professions”; and the fourth, which garnered the most votes, promised that “museum professions” would become interdisciplinary and museum workers would be multi-competent.

Sayalbek Gizzatov, Scientific Secretary of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, explained why he believes museums will remain relevant in the future. “Why will people continue to visit museums? The fact is that humans still understand and perceive the world through their experiences, feelings, and sensations. Therefore, even in the age of technological development, the museum will remain an essential platform for communication and understanding the world and oneself,” Gizzatov said.

Alexander Sedov, Director of the State Museum of Oriental Art, emphasized that future museum professionals must develop diverse competencies and gain authority in various specializations to conduct full and effective interdisciplinary dialogue with people. “In our time, a person with extensive knowledge is becoming, let’s say, an increasingly rare breed. Therefore, a museum worker must have significant knowledge, experience, and multidisciplinary skills to be able to answer virtually any question,” stated Sedov.

Xue Jiang, Head of the Cultural Development Department at the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum (China), spoke about how the museum is both Chinese and international. “We strive to enrich our visitors’ experience as much as possible. People often think that science fiction culture is limited to reading related books, but we want to offer different experiences and show that SciFi is cool. Our writers meet with fans, we host sci-fi film screenings, SciFi carnivals, and performances. Our museum also has a park by a lake where visitors can, for example, go kayaking. This is very important because young visitors, their parents, and even grandparents can all find activities to enjoy. Of course, we hope our museum will become a platform for cultural exchange,” noted Xue Jiang.

Summarizing, Elizaveta Likhacheva stated that museums, though indirectly, will play a significant role in shaping the future. “Throughout different periods, culture has often saved people, and this is remembered and appreciated not only in Russia but by all humanity. Therefore, museums that study the past can also become places for shaping the future. I believe that thanks to the existence of museums, many historical mistakes have been avoided, and that alone justifies their existence,” concluded the expert.

The International Symposium “Creating the Future” runs from November 4 to 6, featuring scientists, researchers, futurists, science fiction writers, and government representatives from 101 countries, including Russia, India, Italy, Iran, China, the UAE, Serbia, the USA, and France. The program includes more than 60 sessions across four key areas: the future of humanity, the future of technology, the future of a multipolar world, and the future of civilizations. Event details and broadcasts are available at https://future.russia.ru/.

The “Creating the Future” Symposium is the first event organized by the National Center “Russia,” established on July 1, 2024, by decree of President Vladimir Putin. The center aims to preserve the legacy of the International Exhibition Forum “Russia” and showcase the achievements of the country and its people. Federal authorities, state companies, corporations, and regional representatives participate in the center’s work.