Conference:

ICAM23 – Istanbul 

This conference will be hosted by Deniz Ova and the Research and Program team at Salt.

Dates:

Pre-Conference Tour:
19 October 2026

Conference:
20-23 October 2026

Post-Conference Destinations:
24 October 2026

Tickets for ICAM 23 are now available for booking online here.

For any inquiries regarding the upcoming conference, please email icam23@saltonline.org

ICAM23 – Call for Papers

Deadline for submission of abstracts: 10 April 2026

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ICAM23 – Istanbul

The International Confederation of Architectural Museums (ICAM) is pleased to announce that its 23rd Biennial Conference will be hosted by Salt and will take place between October 20–23, 2026 at Salt Galata, Istanbul. Held in a different city for each edition, the ICAM Biennial Conference combines thematic sessions with expert-led encounters with local architectural heritage, collections, and institutions. In 2026, the program will unfold across Istanbul’s layered architectural and archival landscape, offering opportunities to discuss urgent issues in the field and to engage with new initiatives in archival and curatorial practice.

This year’s program will address five thematic sessions that examine critical questions surrounding loss, pedagogy, digital transformation, curatorial practice, and the construction of responsive architectural repositories. Each session will be chaired by a different convenor, inviting researchers, curators, archivists, educators, and practitioners working across architecture, archives, museums, and related cultural fields to apply with contributions aligned with its specific focus. The first session will focus on how loss, erasure, and archival silence shape architectural memory and how alternative archival practices can reframe what is remembered or excluded. The second session will explore curatorial negotiations and experimental approaches to activating architectural collections, with attention to conservation, reproduction, and equitable collaboration. The third session will address the tensions between digitized and born-digital architectures and their implications for preservation, authorship, and institutional care. The fourth session will examine pedagogical practices that activate archives and museums as tools for learning and public engagement with the built environment. The fifth session will focus on building responsive architectural repositories across Africa, West and Central Asia, and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, foregrounding local knowledge and regional histories.
Early bird ticket (until 31 July 2026)
  • ICAM member: 550,- Euro
  • Non-member: 600,- Euro
Standard ticket
  • ICAM member: 590,- Euro
  • Non-member: 640,- Euro
  • Partner ticket: 490,- Euro

Note: Lunches are included in the ticket prices, unless otherwise stated.

The Partner ticket grants access to limited events of the Conference, including architectural tours, keynote speech, studio visits, and select meals. More information on what is covered by the Partner ticket package is detailed in the Conference Programme below. [This ticket is suitable for partners and spouses of conference participants.]

  • Pre-Conference Tour: tbc Euro (includes transportation and lunch)
  • Post-Conference Day: Free access to recommended partner museums.

The Post-Conference Day is an open program featuring neighbouring cultural institutions that will offer complimentary access throughout the week.

Important Information:

The fee for the conference ticket covers the four-day programme, and most lunches. The conference programme will highlight when evening events take place and if food and drinks will be included. There are additional fees for the Pre-Conference Tour, and no organized Post-Conference Tour is planned. However, a list of selected museum recommendations will be provided, with complimentary admission included.

We have partnered with several hotels in Istanbul for discounted rates on a limited number of accommodation bookings in association with this conference. Information on these deals will be provided upon confirmation of your registration. For any inquiries regarding the upcoming conference, please email icam23@saltonline.org

Grants to attend ICAM23

ICAM will make a small number of grants available to cover the full early-bird fee and accommodation for attending ICAM23.
Details on application process and requirements available on the Grants page.
Deadline for application: 05 July 2026

ICAM23 Conference Program

The programme schedule listed here may be subject to minor changes. * indicates events included in the Partner Ticket.

Monday, 19 October: Pre-Conference Tour
  • Topkapı Palace and Harem
  • Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Lunch is included in the pre-conference ticket. Price tbc

Tuesday, 20 October: Conference Day 1
  • Registration*
  • Welcome Notes*
  • Opening lecture*
  • General Assembly

Coffee Break

Session: Architecture of Loss

Lunch: Lunch at SALT Galata
Not included in the partner ticket.

Tour: Salt Galata and Archive Tour*

Keynote Speeches*

Free Time

Evening: Welcome Reception*

Wednesday, 21 October: Conference Day 2

Site Visits*

  • Kuzguncuk
  • Müze Gazhane

Lunch: Lunch near Müze Gazhane*

Session: Curatorial Negotiations, Collection Experiments

Free Time

Lightning Session*

  • Walk-in Cinema, Salt Beyoğlu

Evening: Exhibition Tour & Drinks @Salt Beyoğlu*

The Lightning Session and evening event are open to invited guests

Thursday, 22 October: Conference Day 3

Site Visits*

  • Taksim
  • Atatürk Cultural Center
  • ITU Faculty of Architecture (Taşkışla)
  • Hilton

Lunch: Lunch near Hilton*

Forum

  • Forum is an open space offered to all conference participants for discussion and networking around topics outside the main sessions.

Please contact Antonella Alici a.alici@staff.univpm.it for regional meetings or proposals.

Coffee Break

Session: Invisible Tensions: Between Digital and Digitized Architecture

CIAM Roundtable

Free Time

Evening: Dinner*

Friday, 23 October: Conference Day 4

Site Visits*

  • Rami Library
  • İMÇ (Istanbul Textile Traders’ Market)

Lunch: Lunch near İMÇ*

Session: Pedagogical Practices: How to Get Architecture Outside of Museums and Archives?

General Assembly II

Coffee Break

Session: Building Responsive Repositories: Architectural Resonances in Africa, West and Central Asia, and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean

Closing

Optional Program

  • Studio Visits (with prior registration)*

Note: Sessions will take place at the Auditorium at Salt Galata unless otherwise stated.

Saturday, 24 October: Post-Conference Recommendations

Free access to partner museums.

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