IMCC

As #IMCCInFocus: Basque Country concludes, we leave with a deeper appreciation for the institutions, professionals, and cultural leaders who made this program so meaningful.⠀ ⠀ Across three days, attendees experienced a region where architecture, heritage, cultural investment, and public life intersect in visible and lasting ways. Conversations throughout the congress reflected on the role museums play in shaping identity, interpreting place, and evolving through new approaches to visitor experience, storytelling, and public engagement.⠀ ⠀ The program brought the IMCC community inside some of the Basque Country’s leading cultural institutions, including @museoguggenheim , @chillidaleku , Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, the Basque Museum, @maritimemuseumbilbao , and the Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (GOe) @bculinary ⠀ Thank you to Congress Host Javier Martínez Martínez, Silver Sponsor @proasur_we.make.it.possible , and all of our venue partners for sharing this special part of the world with the IMCC community.⠀ ⠀ 📸 These images offer a glimpse into the experience, but they also reflect something larger — the exchange of ideas, perspectives, and relationships that continues to shape the international museum community.⠀ ⠀ And to everyone who joined us, thank you for being part of the experience. If you missed IMCC InFocus this year, we hope to welcome you at a future gathering ahead.⠀ .⠀ #IMCCInFocus #MuseumLeadership #MuseumDesign #Museums #Architecture #MandrierMeetings #Bilbao #SanSebastian #BasqueCountry⠀

The first two days of #IMCCInFocus: Basque Country have brought the international museum community through a series of institutional visits, discussions, and behind-the-scenes exchanges across Bilbao.⠀ ⠀ From conversations at the @bilbaomuseoa to tours and presentations at the almost open Basque Museum, @maritimemuseumbilbao , and @museoguggenheim , attendees have explored how museums and cultural institutions continue to evolve through architecture, operations, storytelling, visitor experience, and regional identity.⠀ ⠀ The dialogue throughout the program has reflected the broader relationship between cultural investment and public life across the Basque Country — a region long recognized for its contributions to architecture, design, and cultural development.⠀ ⠀ The congress continues tomorrow in San Sebastián with visits to @chillidaleku and @bculinary ⠀ Thank you to Congress Host Javier Martínez Martínez and Silver Sponsor @proasur_we.make.it.possible for their leadership throughout this special edition of IMCC InFocus.⠀ ⠀ 📸Photo Credits: ACCIONA Cultura, Ben Melham, David Martínez Martínez, Phanta Visual⠀ .⠀ #IMCC2026 #MuseumLeadership #MuseumDesign #Museums #Architecture #CulturalInfrastructure #ExperienceDesign #Bilbao #BasqueCountry

Bruns is attending 𝗜𝗠𝗖𝗖 𝗜𝗻𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆. IMCC InFocus is an international gathering for museum leaders, design professionals and experts in museum construction. The programme focuses on knowledge sharing, networking and behind-the-scenes visits to cultural venues in the Basque Country. 📅 10-12 May 2026 📍 Bilbao and San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain 🏛️ International Museum Construction Congress, with visits to locations including Bilbao Museoa, Itsasmuseum Bilbao, Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Chillida Leku and GOe Basque Culinary Center. We look forward to connecting with peers, exchanging insights and exploring how culture, design and craftsmanship come together in inspiring visitor experiences. @museumconstruction @bilbaomuseoa @itsasmuseumbilbao @museoguggenheim @bculinary #IMCC #IMCCInFocus #museum #Congress

🇪🇸 On behalf of Congress Chairperson Javier Martinez, Proasur, and the IMCC Planning Committee, we are thrilled to welcome attendees this weekend in Bilbao for IMCC InFocus: Basque Country! ⠀ ⠀ A three-day program centered in Bilbao and across San Sebastián—a region recognized for its approach to architecture, culture, and urban transformation.⠀ ⠀ This InFocus program is limited to 100 attendees, with an emphasis on time inside the work itself: private access, behind-the-scenes tours, and direct engagement with the institutions and individuals responsible for delivering projects at this scale.⠀ ⠀ 🏛️ Congress Venues:⠀ Guggenheim Museum Bilbao⠀ Bilbao Fine Arts Museum⠀ Itsasmuseum Bilbao⠀ Chillida Leku⠀ GOe-Gastronomy Open Ecosystem.⠀ ⠀ A focused setting, shaped by the institutions opening their doors and those leading the work. ✅✅✅ ⠀ ⠀ If you are attending, please tag us in your photos. ⠀ Visit us online for the full agenda overview.⠀ ⠀ 📸 Photo credits: (1-3) Bilbao Turismo, (4 & 5) Visit Euskadi, (6) Chillida Leku, (7 & 8) Francisco Tirado ⠀ .⠀ #IMCC #IMCCInFocus #BasqueCountry #MuseumLeadership

The @vamuseum has opened its new site in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park!⠀ ⠀ The @vam_east ., which opened in 2025, has already been recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the World’s Greatest Places of 2026. ⠀ ⠀ During #IMCC2021, the V&A was one of few iconic venues that hosted our global community.⠀ ⠀ These are the kinds of projects that shape the dialogue at IMCC. Long timelines, complex delivery, and a level of coordination that brings together architecture, collections, and public access in entirely new ways.⠀ ⠀ The same level of coordination and ambition continues to define the conversations and shared experiences across IMCC. ⠀ ⠀ 📸Photo credit: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park⠀ .⠀ #MuseumLeadership #VAMuseum #MuseumDevelopment #CulturalInfrastructure⠀ ⠀

The strength of IMCC reflects the people behind it, leaders who bring active projects, real constraints, and practical insight into the program.⠀ ⠀ The Planning Committee and Steering Committee guide the direction of the congress, with a global group of professionals contributing to the depth and quality of the dialogue.⠀ ⠀ In a week that recognizes volunteer contributions across industries, we’re grateful for the people who continue to invest in IMCC. ⠀ ⠀ Photos: ↔️Copenhagen, Notre-Dame de Paris, Tokyo, Edinburgh ⠀ .⠀ #MuseumLeadership #ThankYou #IMCC2026 #MandrierMeetings

Cities reveal more when you see them through the people shaping their institutions.⠀ ⠀ In Copenhagen, IMCC2025 brought together museum leaders, architects, and designers for a program grounded in real projects, real constraints, and shared perspective.⠀ ⠀ Across venues including the @detkglbibliotek and @big_builds Headquarters, conversations examined storytelling not as overlay, but as methodology — and the responsibility institutions carry as civic actors in moments where public trust, identity, and truth itself are being tested.⠀ ⠀ That level of exchange continues this fall in Munich — through plenary sessions, evening receptions, and behind-the-scenes access across a new host city. ⠀ ⠀ 📲 Visit us online to learn more and get involved.⠀ .⠀ #MuseumLeadership #IMCC #museum #leadership #conference

𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 | 𝗜𝗠𝗖𝗖 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆⠀ ⠀ Sunday, 10 May | 14:15 – 15:15⠀ ⠀ Mikel Onandia Garate⠀ Faculty of Fine Arts, University of the Basque Country⠀ ⠀ Art historian, curator, and critic, Mikel Onandia holds a PhD in Art History and lectures at the University of the Basque Country. His work spans both academic research and curatorial practice, with published writing across media, catalogues, and art publications.⠀ ⠀ He has curated exhibitions at institutions including the @museoguggenheim , Artium – Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basque Country, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, and the Oteiza Museum Foundation, among others.⠀ ⠀ We look forward to learning more during his keynote session! ⠀ ⠀ 📲 Full agenda details at the link in bio. ⠀ .⠀ #IMCCInFocus26 #BasqueCountry #MuseumLeadership #MandrierMeetings

📰The IMCC In Focus: Notre-Dame de Paris 2026 Post-Congress Report is now available. ⠀ Taking place across two days in Paris, this special edition of IMCC brought together 75 museum and heritage professionals from 17 countries for a focused deep dive into the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.⠀ ⠀ The program began with a welcome reception at Monocle Café, followed by sessions at Institut du monde arabe and on-site access to the cathedral, including tours of the towers and views of the reconstructed spire.⠀ ⠀ Attendees heard first-hand from architects, master carpenters, heritage digitisation specialists, and senior leadership from the Établissement public Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris — offering a detailed look at the five-year effort to restore the cathedral following the 2019 fire.⠀ ⠀ The report captures key themes, insights, and reflections from the sessions, and serves as a reference for those working across museum and cultural infrastructure projects.⠀ ⠀ With thanks to Ann Curtis, Natalie Dunning, and the MuseumINSIDER team for their editorial leadership.⠀ ⠀ 📲 Visit us online to read the full report. ⠀ .⠀ #IMCCInFocus #NotreDameDeParis #IMCCInFocus26 ⠀ #MuseumLeadership #MandrierMeetings⠀

🔁: A day across London — through its museums and galleries. This film from @maxfordhamllp traces a route across some of the city’s most significant cultural institutions, revealing the depth of collaboration behind each project — from Tate Modern to the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and beyond. Many of the teams involved are part of the wider IMCC community — a reflection of how closely connected this work is in practice. Featuring @imogenbhogal and @dionbarrett . #MuseumArchitecture #MuseumProjects #LondonMuseums #MaxFordham

📣 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹: 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗠𝗖𝗖 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. 10–12 May | Bilbao & San Sebastián This special In Focus program includes access to Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Itsasmuseum Bilbao, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Basque Museum, Chillida Leku, and the GOe – Gastronomy Open Ecosystem. Alongside curated visits, attendees will experience site-based learning, behind-the-scenes access, and time to engage with museums and cultural spaces in context. Link in bio to secure your place before the early rate expires. Photo credits: (1 & 3) Visit Euskadi, (2) Bilbao Turismo, (4 & 5) BAT Architecture . #IMCC #IMCCInFocus #BasqueCountry #MuseumLeadership #MuseumArchitecture #MandrierMeetings #beautifuldestinations #museum #leadership #conference

🔁“What does authenticity really mean in heritage reconstruction?”⠀ ⠀ A reflection shared by Attila Saghi, MRICS following IMCC In Focus: Notre Dame:⠀ ⠀ “This was not a symbolic reconstruction. It was a cultural decision…⠀ In an age of accelerated construction, France chose knowledge transmission over simplification…⠀ This is more than rebuilding a monument. It is rebuilding competence, memory, and continuity.”⠀ ⠀ In Paris, the reconstruction of Notre Dame was explored through material, method, and the revival of craft — a reminder that authenticity extends beyond form to the knowledge systems that sustain it. ⠀ ⠀ A sentiment shared across the program was the focus, strength, and determination of those involved in delivering this work.⠀ ⠀ IMCC In Focus continues in May as the community convenes in the Basque Country. ⠀ ⬆️ Link in bio for program details. ⠀ ⠀ 📸Photo credits: (1, 3-6) Attila Saghi ⠀ .⠀ #IMCC #MuseumLeadership #MuseumDesign #NotreDameCathedral⠀ #MandrierMeetings