From 18–20 October 2026, the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest will host the first EthnoConnection International Conference, bringing together museum directors, curators, exhibition developers, researchers and educators from across Europe and beyond to explore one of the museum world's most enduring questions:
How permanent should a permanent exhibition be?
Following the successful conclusion of the Call for Papers, ticket sales are now open.
Rather than focusing on ethnographic museums alone, EthnoConnection invites professionals from all museum disciplines, recognising that questions surrounding permanent exhibitions affect history museums, art museums, science museums, ethnographic museums and many others alike.
Over two and a half days, participants will explore topics including:
- creating permanent exhibitions that remain relevant for decades;
- balancing permanence with social, political and technological change;
- exhibitions without permanence – can museums function without a permanent display?;
- collections, identity and community representation;
- critical approaches to authority, memory and museum narratives;
- sustainability, flexibility and the future of long-term exhibitions.
The conference opens with a keynote lecture by Marieke van Bommel, one of Europe's leading museum thinkers, followed by a roundtable discussion featuring Laura Van Broekhoven, Sandra Ferracuti and Matthias Beitl.
The programme also includes presentations and discussions with internationally recognised museum professionals including Beat Hächler (ALPS Alpine Museum of Switzerland), Lidija Milašinović (National Museum of Kikinda), Ninutsa Zakalashvili, Miriam Malachi, Sonja Kogej Rus, Lisa Bouraly, Ernest Kpan, and many other speakers representing museums, universities and heritage organisations across Europe, Africa and North America.
Alongside lectures and discussions, the conference offers workshops, expert networking sessions, behind-the-scenes museum experiences and evening programmes designed to encourage professional exchange and international collaboration.
Hosted by one of Europe's oldest ethnographic museums, now internationally recognised for its award-winning new permanent exhibition, EthnoConnection aims to become a recurring European meeting point for professionals interested in the future of museums.
Photo: Museum of Ethnograpy