November 05 – 07, 2025 Future Talks 025

Events:

Wednesday, 11/05/2025, 08:00
Friday, 11/07/2025, 08:00

Future Talks 025 From failure to success Innovative case studies in the conservation of the modern

Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum is pleased to announce its ninth edition of the FUTURE TALKS conference series:

Call for papers (PDF)
Submission: The deadline for submission of abstracts is February 28, 2025
Location: Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany

16 years, eight conferences and a good 230 lectures after the first FUTURE TALKS conference in 2009, we would like to dedicate the FUTURE TALKS 025 conference to an aspect that is directly linked to the evolution of human culture: Innovation through mistakes.
In our culture, especially in the working environment of conservators and conservation scientists, mistakes are often associated with professional failure. This is understandable, as in the worst case this can lead to the loss of irretrievable cultural assets. What is crucial in this context, however, is how to deal with failure.



Nevertheless mistakes and failures have always been an integral part of innovative scientific research. The decisive factor is the acceptance of being able to make mistakes and the willingness and motivation to share and learn from them, develop improvements and draw the right conclusions.
While it is still common practice at conferences and in professional exchange to emphasize only the successful and effective case studies, the frank dialogue has a much greater, indeed almost inexhaustible potential for innovation and professional progress in our field.
The FUTURE TALKS offer both the professional and the necessary protected framework for discussing and advancing relevant projects.
As usual the FUTURE TALKS 025 are taking a closer look at outstanding research projects on the conservation of the modern that have never been presented and published before.
Due to the great demand and the positive response to our last FUTURE TALKS 023 conference, we are planning a panel on the topic of Cold Cases. Relevant contributions are very welcome.
To foster lively and interdisciplinary dialogue we invite submissions from conservators, conservation scientists, designers, architects, artists, engineers and producers.
Recent advances in this field, addressing technology, design and production processes, new and innovative treatment and analysis methods as well as current conservation research and ongoing projects are very welcome.
As we are aiming to create a dynamic event, the format of the presentations need not be a plenary talk. Ideas for workshops and panel discussions are of interest.

FUTURE TALKS A conference by the Conservation Department

Gelbe Papiertaschen mit dem schwarz gesprayeten Namen "Future Talks" liegen gefächert als Kranz aus. In der Mitte befindet sich das Programmheft mit weißen Lettern auf schwarzem Hintergrund.

The FUTURE TALKS conference series was initiated in 2009 by the Conservation Department at Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum, and since then it has taken place every two years at Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.

FUTURE TALKS is an international conference format for transferring knowledge on innovations in modern materials and technologies, current research projects involving active restoration, and conservation of modern materials, as well as the analysis and documentation of technologies used. Specialist presentations, workshops, speed lectures, and panel discussions serve to present, scrutinize, and evaluate specific interdisciplinary approaches.