Deadline – 22 June 2025

Visit our main conference page for the most up-to-date information about Dubai conference 2025.

We are excited to share that the call for papers for the ICOM General Conference in Dubai is now open! Deadline for submissions in June 22. We invite you to take a look at the official conference page to learn more.

CAMOC offers three possibilities to present:

12th November:  CAMOC Session A – Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities

13th November: CAMOC & ICFA (Museums and Collections of Fine Arts) Session C – Art and Creativity in Arab Cities: Transformation

15th November: CAMOC’s IC day – Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities

See below for full thematic descriptions.

In addition to selected papers, the IC Day for CAMOC will consist key note speakers from local partners, CAMOC annual meeting and the possibility to join study visits to learn more about the historical parts of Dubai. The program will be announced once we have confirmed the locations and other details.

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Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities

In a world of cities in constant transformation, how is urban heritage being researched, interpreted and deployed? Who holds the power to decide what is worth preserving and how it should be represented? How do city museums grapple with tensions generated by generational differences and technological change?

As part of the ICOM Dubai Triennial 2025 Conference, CAMOC will explore how city museums or other organizations interested in urban life and heritage can be active agents in shaping future communities in diverse urban contexts around the world – with particular interest in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region.

We will explore how museums can contribute to inclusive and just representations of urban heritage, reflecting the voices of different communities who have contributed to their cities’ histories and who continue to shape their evolution.

For Urban heritage: people and (re)presentation in rapidly changing cities, we invite proposals for 10-minute presentations that touch on one of the following thematic areas:

• Tangible and intangible urban heritage
  How do city and urban-focused museums explore, interpret and facilitate multiple (and contested) expressions of the city, including representations of overlooked, marginal or transitional urban spaces?
  • Contemporary urban social practices; official and unofficial uses of public space; informal economies; community festivals; adaptations and reappropriations; neighbourhoods and community spaces; mobility and transport networks; peripheries and interstitial spaces
• Intergenerational collaborations/dialogue in the museum sector
  How do museums engage differences across ages within a city?
  • Cultural mediation practices; youth engagement; intergenerational activities; collecting and exhibiting youth culture; memory and identity;  urban regeneration through age-focused engagement

• Artificial intelligence and urban heritage
  How are rapid advances in AI-based digital technologies reshaping the preservation, representation, and creation of urban heritage?
  • Intangible urban experiences in a digital format; digital platforms to present urban heritage in innovative ways; community archiving; social media as urban narrative space; changing research methodologies
• Art and creativity in Arab cities: Transformation
  Joint session with ICFA Fine Arts
  Arab cities have long been vibrant cultural hubs where artistic and creative expressions reflect historical depth, contemporary transformations, and visions for the future. This session welcomes proposals that explore the dynamic relationship between urban spaces and artistic practices in cities of the Arab world in the past, the present, and the future.
  • Expected topics could include urban art movements, exhibitions highlighting aspects of city life, negotiations between urban space and creative work, museum roles in promoting public art within city planning, museum programs engaging urban communities through creative expression, etc. Through discussions, we aim to explore how art shapes and is shaped by the evolving urban landscapes of Arab cities.

Submission guidelines

Please submit abstracts of up to 300 words for consideration. Include 5 keywords for your topic at the beginning of the abstract. Also include a brief biographical note.

We have a limited number of presentation spots for this conference, so presentations are expected to be limited to 10 minutes and will need to be in person at the conference.

For questions, contact camoc.secretary@gmail.com