ZIMBABWE is on course to host the 58th International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM) Annual Conference in Harare next November, marking the first time Africa will stage the world's premier gathering of museum directors and contemporary art curators.
Hosted by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe under the auspices of the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the conference is expected to attract leading museum directors, curators and cultural practitioners from around the world to discuss the future of museums, cultural heritage and contemporary art at a time when global institutions are rethinking issues of restitution, inclusion and sustainability.
National Gallery of Zimbabwe executive director Raphael Chikukwa said hosting the conference represented a historic milestone for both Zimbabwe and Africa's modern and contemporary art sector.
"CIMAM is a community of museums of modern and contemporary art founded in 1962. It brings together museum directors and curators every year to deliberate on museum issues. It is like the Davos of museum professionals," Chikukwa told NewsDay Life & Style.
Founded in 1962 as an affiliated organisation of the International Council of Museums, CIMAM is the only global network representing directors and curators of modern and contemporary art museums. Its annual conference rotates among host countries, creating opportunities for professional exchange, research, collaboration and policy discussions on museum practice.
Zimbabwe secured the right to host the conference after several years of engagement with the organisation. Chikukwa said discussions began during the 2022 conference in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, before Zimbabwe's successful bid was announced in Barcelona in June 2025 and formally presented during the 2025 conference in Turin, Italy.
"This is the first time CIMAM will be hosted in Africa. It gives the international museum ecosystem an opportunity to understand African art and museum practice from its own context," he said.
Held under the theme Museums Beyond Limits: Imagining Repair Across Cultures, Ecologies and Knowledges, the conference will explore how museums can respond to global challenges, including cultural inclusion, restitution, sustainability and evolving definitions of museum practice.
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Beyond the conference sessions, delegates will take part in studio visits across Harare, including Mbare Art Space, Chitungwiza Arts Centre, the National Gallery School of Visual Arts and several independent artists' studios, offering international visitors first-hand exposure to Zimbabwe's contemporary art scene.
A post-conference tour of Great Zimbabwe will introduce delegates to the country's best-known heritage site and one of Africa's most significant archaeological monuments.
Chikukwa said weekly planning meetings with the CIMAM Secretariat in Barcelona had ensured preparations remained on schedule.
"The content has been finalised. We now have keynote speakers, contributors and programmes in place. Our focus is ensuring every aspect of the conference runs smoothly across the different venues," he said.
The National Gallery is also undergoing refurbishment with support from the Higherlife Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Italian Embassy and Webuild.
Chikukwa said the conference would leave a lasting legacy through skills development, international networking and increased visibility for Zimbabwean artists, curators and museum professionals.
"This is a lifetime opportunity for young Zimbabwean artists and curators to engage directly with the world's leading museum professionals. It is also an opportunity for Africa to contribute its own voice to global museum practice."
Registration remains open through the official CIMAM conference platform for eligible museum professionals. Organisers are encouraging curators, museum directors and art practitioners from Zimbabwe, Africa and beyond to participate in what Chikukwa described as "a historic moment for African museums".
