Acciona Cultura, a leading creator of technology-driven interactive museums, exhibits, and events, has announced the full agenda for the NEXT IN summit, which will gather experts from across the globe to analyse and reflect on museology and its social impact, both now and in the future.
NEXT IN will welcome participants from leading museums worldwide, including the Museo Nacional del Prado, the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie – Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and more. They will be joined by representatives from cultural institutions such as Qatar Museums, Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Royal Commission for AlUla, and MiSK Art Institute.
The event is taking place in Madrid from 24 to 25 April, and the full programme is available here. Registration is open, and an additional 20% discount is available to blooloop readers with the code NEXTINBLOOLOOP.
Multidisciplinary discussion
NEXT IN features 50 multidisciplinary specialists, who will reflect on success stories, best practices, and difficulties facing the industry going forward, to provide their perspectives on the new era of creativity and cultural expression.
The programme includes leading artists such as Refik Anadol and Mario Klingemann, who are renowned for their groundbreaking use of data, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) in their artworks.
It also offers a focus on architecture as a crucial component of the interaction between artists and the general public. Leaders from notable studios from around the world will be attending, including Jens Richter from estudio Herreros, Enrique Sobejano from Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, Sumayya Vally from Counterspace, Emilio Tuñón from Tuñón y Albornoz Arquitectos, Frida Escobedo, Tatiana Bilbao, Carlo Ratti, and Paola Cattarin from Zaha Hadid Architects
Speakers include Helen Charman, director of learning, national programmes and Young V&A, Victoria and Albert Museum, who is taking part in the panel session titled How museums make society. Community building.
Charman says: “Museums are dynamic, multi-faceted institutions, as much centres of community as they are places of leisure, entertainment, education and commerce. At NEXT IN I will share the co-design process used at V&A to ensure the museum is empowered to actively shape and contribute to the fabric of society.”
Sarah Sutton, CEO, Environment & Culture Partners, is speaking in the panel session titled Is it all about trends? Shaping the future of museums. Sutton comments: “‘How museums can respond to climate change while helping their communities and audiences do the same’ is a fundamental question; I will be at NEXT IN with some ideas to share.”
See also: Collaboration is key to climate change action
She is joined by Eric Langham, founder, Barker Langham, who shares: “At NEXT IN I will explore where culture can take us next: from experiences that inspire action and enhance wellbeing, to new paradigms that redefine how we create.”
Javier Sainz de los Terreros, digital communication manager, Museo Nacional del Prado, is also speaking and adds: “Museums must adapt to changes in order to remain relevant and meet the demands of society, both in the topics they address and in how they do so.”
See also: Creating a hit digital content strategy at The Prado Museum
Delegates can also experience the most impressive advances in the field with spaces dedicated to live artistic experiences, including a multisensory reproduction of a concert, immersive performances, and AI-powered digital art, among others.
Museum innovation
With its focus on museum innovation, NEXT IN is poised to become the world’s largest conference for the sector. Its objective is to serve as a venue for discussing all facets of the cultural industry, in a world where public expectations are ever-changing.
It is organised by Acciona Cultura, an interdisciplinary firm that specialises in the design and production of events, museums, exhibitions, expo pavilions, and interiors. The firm has received 250 international awards, and has experience working on projects in 43 countries including the Great Egyptian Museum (the biggest of its kind), the House of European History in Brussels, and the Olympic and Sports Museum in Qatar.
Since 1990, Acciona Cultura has created sustainable solutions for museums, art centres, and international exhibitions, showcasing creativity and innovation across the value chain. The firm is ISO 20121 certified, ensuring all initiatives meet sustainability guidelines and operations are carbon neutral.
Acciona Cultura recently announced additional details ahead of NEXT IN Summit 2024, which will be taking place at the Acciona Campus in Madrid. It shared details of the event, which is designed to connect museum directors, prominent architects and designers, cultural managers and programmers, and collection and exhibition curators.
