Every three years, ICOM-CC, the Committee for Conservation, organizes an international conference for professionals in the field. This year, the global community of conservators and collection managers will gather in Oslo from 14–18 September 2026. In this Talk, we will update you—together with the organizers—on the content of the conference. Will a trip to Norway soon be on your agenda as well? And what is the local impact of a major museum conference?
The Talk will be introduced by Kate Seymour, conservation expert and member of the organizing committee. She will tell you everything about the chosen theme: Cultural Connections in Conservation. Kate will also explain what else you can expect from the conference.
In addition to the importance of intercultural exchange, the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and collection management and conservation is a key focus of the ICOM-CC Triennial. To offer a preview of his contribution to the conference, Professor David Cohen will join as a guest. He is an expert in preventive conservation and risk management.
With a view to the ICOM General Conference coming to Rotterdam in 2028, Ida Bronken, conservator at the Nasjonalmuseet Oslo and a member of the ICOM-CC Triennial organizing committee, will talk about how museums in the host city and beyond can work together to create impact. We will conclude the program with a Q&A session.
Practical information
Friday, 8 May 2026, 16:00 – 17:30
Online via Zoom
Free, no need to sign up
This Talk is in English
Speakers
Ida Antonia Tank Bronken studied fine arts before changing direction and majoring in painting conservation at UiO in 2002, with supporting subjects in art history (intermediate subject) and history of ideas (undergraduate subject). After working as a conservator for a few years at the Science Museum in Trondheim, the Henie Onstad Art Center in Bærum, the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NKU) and at the National Museum in Oslo, Bronken completed a project-based Master in Conservation at UiO in 2010. Bronken has worked at the National Museum since 2010, and was project manager for the permanent collection exhibition in the new National Museum between 2015-2018 before returning to conservation fulltime. In 2022, she defended her doctoral thesis French Connections: Soft and dripping paint in Cobra and Art Autre (1949-1972), at the University of Amsterdam. Bronken has been the organizer of international research conferences: Moving Collections (NKF-N) in 2012, Bridging the Gap 2023, ICOM-CC's 21st Triennale in 2026, and is also the project manager for the upcoming conference; Rethinking Cubism and Concrete Art in the North in 2027. Bronken currently focuses on research on artists such as Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928), Thorvald Hellesen (1888-1937), Anna-Eva Bergman (1909-1987) and Asger Jorn (1914-1973). (Photo: Ina Wesenberg, Nasjonalmuseet.)
David Cohen is an Associate Professor at the Universidad de los Andes. During the last 20 years, he has worked in preventive conservation, teaching, and research. He has been a consultant to UNESCO-ICCROM on the development of a risk management methodology for cultural heritage, as well as to the Re-ORG project on the reorganization of collections in storage. He has also developed tools to assess the value of cultural heritage. Professor Cohen has published extensively on these topics and has taught numerous courses on preventive conservation and risk management for cultural heritage in several Iberoamerican countries. He currently coordinates the Preventive Conservation working group of the Conservation Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM-CC).
Kate Seymour is an internationally recognized paintings conservator, educator, and advocate for art conservation. With a background in Art History (University of Aberdeen, 1994) and a Master’s in Painting Conservation (University of Northumbria, 1999), Kate has spent over two decades advancing the science and craft of conservation. Based in the Netherlands, she served as Head of Education at SRAL for 25 years, training future conservators and pioneering best practices. She has lectured extensively at the University of Amsterdam and Maastricht University, specializing in conservation science, techniques, and materials analysis. Kate has supervised countless research projects, always fostering curiosity and innovation in her students. Her technical expertise spans the structural treatment of canvas and panel paintings, cleaning, retouching, and varnishing. She has led conservation workshops across Europe, India, Mexico, and Russia, and directed major international initiatives supported by the Mellon and Getty Foundations. In 2024, she launched Art Conservation Education, a platform for hands-on, advanced training in painting conservation. A dedicated leader, Kate currently serves as Chair of ICOM-CC and is a Fellow of the IIC. Passionate, collaborative, and deeply committed to professional development, Kate continues to shape the global future of art conservation through education, leadership, and practice.