Exhibitions and the Cultural Mission of Royal Residences

Exhibitions and the Cultural Mission of Royal Residences

This event will take place in September 2027. More information to come soon. Originally proposed by Andrea Merlotti of La Venaria Reale and presented during the General Assembly held in Milan in 2024, the idea of a Technical Meeting dedicated to exhibitions in royal palaces and historic residences aims to bring together professionals to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of organising exhibitions in historic environments. Exhibitions play a central role in the cultural life of our institutions, allowing palaces to present their collections, reinterpret their history and engage contemporary audiences.Yet exhibiting in a palace raises specific questions. Unlike traditional museum spaces, royal residences are themselves historic environments, shaped by architecture, decoration and centuries of history. Curators must therefore constantly negotiate the relationship between the exhibition and the palace itself. This meeting will offer an opportunity to exchange experiences and approaches to exhibition-making in such contexts. Discussions may address the relationship between exhibitions and historic spaces, curatorial narratives related to palace history, and new ways of engaging visitors.