Artivist at the “Meet, See, Do 2025” Conference

Do you know that feeling when you find yourself among people who genuinely care? People who may not necessarily be dissatisfied with the current state of their professional field—though some certainly are—but who are undoubtedly aware that things can be improved, and who want to contribute to that improvement? Well, this conference had a critical mass of exactly those kinds of people.

In such an environment, it’s hardly surprising that we had the chance to attend several truly engaging and thought-provoking talks and workshops. To make sure we remember at least some of them, here are a few highlights:

• Margherita Sani, from the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO), in her lecture “The Museum is a Verb! The Changing Nature of Museum Work in a Changing Environment”, drew attention to a paradigm shift in the field of heritage preservation and presentation that’s been underway for some time. She challenged us to reflect on what we might need to unlearn in order to learn again—and differently. For example: “It’s not about the objects, nor the building, but the change they can provoke.” Hence the “verb” in the title.

• Maria Vlachou, from the Portuguese organization Access Culture, posed the question “How Can We Stay True to Our Values?” and led us on a powerful, provocative journey into examining our relationship to censorship and external pressures. Her aim was to raise awareness of just how politically polarizing, disturbing, and threatening the current moment is. She offered a few key takeaways: a) Do not obey! b) Know your rights! c) Be vocal! d) Act as a community! (...) Eye-opening and sobering, wouldn’t you say?

• Bernadette Lynch, from the Museums and Solidarity in Action Network, took us one step further in a similar context with her workshop “Relational Solidarity in Action”. She asked how our museums treat their visitors—do they render them passive by presenting their collections while keeping all the knowledge and authority for themselves? Or do they cultivate long-term, equal, and active relationships with them? In that context, she also asked: “Who are ‘we’? Who are ‘they’? And what’s the problem?”—encouraging us not to fear differences, disputes, or debates. And to stay open to the unknown.

• 
  

There were, of course, many more inspiring and thought-provoking moments—some we were lucky enough to witness, others we, unfortunately, had to miss. Still, our participation in Meet, See, Do 2025 completely fulfilled our expectations.

To conclude: Since 2013, the Balkan Museum Network conferences have established themselves as some of the most vibrant and forward-thinking gatherings of museum professionals in this part of Europe—mostly from Western Balkan countries, but by no means exclusively. (Curious to know what the Balkan Museum Network is, why it was founded, and what it’s all about? Take a look here: https://www.bmuseums.net/)

After Sarajevo, Tirana, Novi Sad, Shkodër, Pristina, Thessaloniki, Skopje, and Tivat, it was finally Croatia’s turn—specifically, Zagreb. And the Museum of the City of Zagreb was a gracious and generous host, providing both the venue and financial support.