Facing the accelerating climate crisis, museums are being called upon to rethink their missions, practices, and responsibilities. How can they reduce their environmental impact while continuing to preserve, share knowledge, and foster social connections? How can they reconcile adaptation to climate risks, conservation requirements, civic engagement, and openness to new forms of collaboration?
This roundtable will focus on the book "Museum and Ecology: Missions, Commitments, and Practices" (to be published on January 22, 2026), edited by Lucie Marinier, Professor at Cnam, Aude Porcedda, Professor at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, and Hélène Vassal, Director of Collection Support at the Louvre Museum. The book is the result of a collective effort involving over 80 professionals, scientists, and artists worldwide and offers a structured vision of the eco-responsible museum, connected to life and attentive to contemporary social issues.
Through case studies, critical analyses, and conceptual frameworks, the speakers will highlight concrete levers for a credible ecological transition: sustainable exhibition design, new strategic orientations, inclusive and collaborative approaches, and the integration of knowledge production, artistic creation, and environmental responsibility.
This roundtable will provide museum and cultural professionals with tools for understanding and action, supporting a still-fragile but essential socio-ecological shift, and helping to build cultural institutions that are more sustainable, engaged, and resilient.
