Iranian curator named ICOM vice-president in Dubai
Iranian museum curator Golnaz Golsabahi was elected one of two vice-presidents of the Executive Board of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) at its triennial general conference in Dubai on Saturday, securing a senior seat in the Paris-based body that shapes global museum policy.
Golsabahi, who had already served two consecutive terms on the Executive Board, was chosen alongside Emirati cultural adviser Nasir Al-Darmaki for the 2025–2028 cycle, IRNA reported.
The vote took place during ICOM’s 27th General Conference, a week-long gathering that opened on November 15 with more than 4,500 participants from 119 countries.
Antonio Rodríguez of the United States will chair the Executive Board for the same three-year period, with the next triennial assembly scheduled to convene in the Netherlands in 2028.
The Dubai meeting, the largest in the museum sector’s calendar, has drawn hundreds of speakers and delegates who are thrashing out the fast-evolving challenges facing museums, from digital curation and conservation pressures to shifting visitor expectations.
Dubai was formally designated as host city for the 2025 triennial after the advisory council handed over the ICOM flag to its organizing committee during the 2022 assembly in Prague, a symbolic ritual that marks the transfer of stewardship for the next global gathering.
Founded in 1946, ICOM brings together museum directors, academics, conservators and policy specialists to set professional standards and steer international cooperation. Its general conferences, held every three years, have become a central forum for exchanging ideas and airing concerns about everything from illicit trafficking and heritage protection to climate-driven risks to collections.