He said that for museums, adaptability meant rethinking the institution’s very form, function, and relationship to society, stating that “adaptability requires museums to shift from being repositories of fixed knowledge to platforms for evolving dialogue.”
El Anatsui opined that museums should be more like living spaces, connecting the past, present, and future, and that they should be modest, cheaper to organise, and accessible and attractive to ordinary people, further stating that, “Museums should have active civic roles and responsibilities”.
He made the call in his keynote presentation at the 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums (ICOM Dubai 2025), held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The event, on the theme: “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” brought together more than 4,500 museum professionals, cultural leaders, and decision-makers from around the world.
El Anatsui, a special guest at the ICOM Dubai 2025, met on the sidelines with Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the visionary of the conference, where they discussed the influence of art in connecting cultures and building shared understanding among communities.
“Restitution is obviously a central and controversial topic today. Nations want their stolen artefacts and artworks returned, and the autonomy to decide how to restore them to their living cultures and contexts,” he emphasised.
Sheikha Latifa, delivering an honorary keynote address, affirmed that ICOM Dubai 2025 reflects a shared vision driven by a belief in the power of culture to shape humanity’s future.
She said that Dubai’s hosting of the event stood as a recognition of its pioneering role on the global cultural stage.
She explained that the event marked a convergence of worlds, experiences, and perspectives:
“We gather here, each carrying the story of our people, our nations, our cultures, our heritage, and our museums. Together, our stories meet, intertwine, and form a living archive that reflects the richness and diversity of human experience, and reminds us that, at its heart, culture is an ongoing dialogue between the past, the present, and the future,” she said.
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Who is El Anatsui?
El Anatsui, represented in the Middle East by Efie Gallery, Dubai, is a world-renowned sculptor known for his innovative artworks made from used objects and inspired by African history and culture.
He has won several awards in his career. In 2015, the Venice Biennale awarded El Anatsui the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
In 2017, Anatsui was awarded the Praemium Imperiale, the first Ghanaian to win this international art prize.
The Praemium Imperiale is awarded by the Japan Art Association and honors artists in the fields of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, and Theatre/Film. El Anatsui was featured in the Time 100 2023 list of most influential people.
