ICFA Annual Conference 2026
“Fine Arts as Cross-Cultural Dialogue,”
Aga Khan Museum Toronto OT, Canada
24–26 November 2026

Fine arts exist with diverse meanings and values across different regions. At the same time, they can function as a shared language through which people from different cultural backgrounds engage in dialogue. However, artistic practices—as well as their historical framings—are deeply embedded in specific linguistic and political contexts, requiring a certain level of shared understanding and frameworks for meaningful exchange.

ICFA has sought to serve as a platform for such engagement. Yet it is not our intention to remain at the level of fleeting encounters with unfamiliar cultures. This conference aims to move beyond simply “learning about” different perspectives, and instead to explore how these perspectives can deepen specialized knowledge and generate new forms of research and practice. Creating momentum toward concrete next actions is essential.

In particular, our areas of expertise—grounded in museums and collections—carry significant responsibility in today’s increasingly uncertain world, including the preservation, interpretation, and recontextualization of what constitutes fine arts. From this perspective, this conference seeks to share concrete, practice-based approaches to bridging cultural divides.

With the Aga Khan Museum as a point of reference, and drawing on the rich cultural diversity of Toronto, Canada, the conference will offer a valuable opportunity for critical engagement and exchange. We invite presentations that not only introduce diverse perspectives, but also articulate how such perspectives can lead to tangible next steps in research, practice, and collaboration. Participants are expected to leave with new insights and a renewed sense of direction for future action.

Conference Themes

1. What constitutes (Fine) Arts in Canada?

People in Canada do not necessarily mean exactly the same thing when they talk about “Arts” or “Fine Arts.” And Canada is actually a very good example of why this is neither surprising nor necessarily a problem. The term “Fine Arts” historically comes from a European tradition: painting, sculpture, classical music, theater, literature, and so on. Through colonial history and institutions — museums, universities, academies — this framework spread globally. But in a country like Canada, that model encounters many very different understandings of what art is in the first place. Many Indigenous cultures in Canada do not necessarily separate art sharply from ritual, community life, craftsmanship, spirituality, or everyday use. A carved object may simultaneously be an artwork, a spiritual object, a carrier of history, and a functional item. ICFA would like to learn about the unique Canadian approach to (Fine) Arts and its many aspects.  We would like to gather different Canadian approaches and – if so – understand the „Canadian way“.

2. The Language of Display: How to create Context for which audience?

The presentation of any kind of (Fine) Arts is related to the audience. Do museum professionals offer an aesthetic based approach without further look-and-feel, is the white cube still alive? Do we have to create context like in old-fashioned ethnographical museums? What do museums have to explaine in order to build low-threshold service and access to a very diverse audiances? ICFA welcomes both theoretical approaches as well as practical examples.

3. Museums and Community Engagement in Multicultural Societies.

Museums play a vital role in multicultural societies by preserving cultural heritage, promoting intercultural understanding, and creating spaces where diverse communities can share their stories. Traditionally viewed as institutions that collect and display objects, modern museums increasingly see themselves as active participants in community life. In multicultural societies, communities often differ in language, ethnicity, religion, history, and social experiences. Effective community engagement helps museums: represent diverse perspectives and histories, build trust with underrepresented groups, encourage social inclusion and cultural dialogue. But how to make exhibitions more relevant to divers local audiences?

In multicultural societies, museums are more than repositories of artifacts; they are spaces for dialogue, learning, and social connection. Through inclusive practices and genuine collaboration with communities, museums can help build more equitable, informed, and culturally vibrant societies.

 

World Café Discussion

The (Fine) Arts – contributions from across the globe. An intermedial result and new steps. Can we create a global definition of (Fine) Arts? Do we actually need one?

When ICFA was founded in 1980 „Museums and Collections of Fine Arts“ were  – as a matter of fact – related to traditional western (European, North American) museums and collections of Fine Arts. Neither Modern Art (CIMAM) was included nor Applied Arts (ICDAD, now: ICOM DESIGN).  ICFA has made much effort in the recent years to get rid of this post-colonial attitude with focussing on the Arts of East Asia, India and the Islamic world. ICFA wants to represent the (Fine) Arts within ICOM globally and worldwide. So we are in the need of a globally valid definition.  But on the other side “Fine Arts” is not a culturally neutral universal category. It belongs to a particular intellectual and historical tradition. How much shared understanding of art does a global society actually need? Maybe a pluralistic society does not need a single universally binding concept of  (Fine) Arts. What it needs instead are ways of dealing productively with multiple and sometimes competing understandings of art. ICFA invites to contribute to this discussion in the most open way. Ideas, examples …. What is the „FA“ in ICFA  supposed to stand for?

What counts as art?

What deserves funding?

What should be collected?

Who defines quality?

The ICFA meeting in Toronto would like to see a multitude of different participants with a great variety of backgrounds and ideas in order to press ahead our discussions and enrich the debate of „Fine Arts“ in an actual modern and progressive way.

How to apply?  

Please send an abstract of 300-400 words and a short resume and submit them to secretary.icfa@icom.museum by 30 July 2026. Notification of acceptance: 15 August 2026.  Participants will be expected to give their presentations in English, which should last 15  minutes and include a visual presentation component. Proposals will be peer reviewed  and the results of the conference may be published.  Presenters will be expected to cover their own travel expenses. Travel grants for young ICOM members (under 40 years old) will be available. Information will follow for those applications.

Membership requirements 

Please note that all participants must be individual members or representatives of institutional members of ICOM at the time of the conference.

Find more information about how to become a member of ICOM and ICOM-ICFA at: https://icom.museum/en/get-involved