The Museum of Bucharest, in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Lisbon and the Lisbon City Museum, invites the public to a conference featuring Joana Sousa Monteiro, the director of the Lisbon Museum. This event will take place on May 7, 2025, at the Suțu Palace in Bucharest, at 6 PM. The conference is titled “Reading the City: New Narratives and Inclusive Programmes at the Museum of Lisbon” and focuses on contemporary museography and the future of cities within museums.
This event is part of a cultural exchange initiative between Romania and Portugal, organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute in Lisbon and the Municipality Museum of Bucharest, in partnership with the Romanian Embassy in Portugal. This initiative, begun in 2024, aims to foster cultural collaboration.
The partnership between the two museums began at a conference in Krakow, where members of the Bucharest Museum had the privilege to meet Monteiro. Subsequently, an inspirational meeting occurred in Lisbon in October 2024, when the Bucharest Museum’s leadership visited the Lisbon Museum. This visit aimed to formalize a partnership agreement and plan a joint Romanian-Portuguese exhibition in the near future.
Monteiro’s conference will outline the transformations the Lisbon Museum has undergone since 2015. Historically focused on history, archaeology, and decorative arts, it has evolved into a dynamic museum centered on urban and social history, encompassing five locations aimed at fostering curiosity and love for Lisbon.
The presentation will include a brief history of the institution’s changes, especially concerning new permanent galleries, and highlight its main collections, which range from Roman times to the 20th century. Key themes of the conference will include the museum’s commitment to inclusion and well-being as central tenets of its new programs, showcasing efforts to broaden the themes and language used in exhibitions and publications to better reflect Lisbon’s cultural diversity.
Joana Sousa Monteiro has been the director of the Lisbon Museum since 2015. Her previous roles include museum advisor to the Cultural Advisor of Lisbon and deputy coordinator of the Portuguese Museums Network. She has also worked at the Contemporary Art Institute and the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Monteiro holds degrees in art history, museology, and arts management, and teaches museum management at NOVA University. Additionally, she is actively involved in ICOM and currently serves as co-chair of the Strategic Planning Committee’s working group.
The conference will be conducted in English, and entry is free, although prior registration is required. Interested participants must sign up via email at the provided address during specified hours, and participation is contingent upon receiving confirmation via email.
