2022 – The Power of Museums

Museums have the power to transform the world around us. As incomparable places of discovery, they teach us about our past and open our minds to new ideas — two essential steps in building a better future.

On International Museum Day 2022, which will take place on May 18th, we want to explore the potential of museums to bring about positive change in their communities through three lenses:

  • The power of achieving sustainability: Museums are strategic partners in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. As key actors in their local communities, they contribute to a wide variety of Goals, which include fostering short-circuit and social economy and disseminating scientific information on environmental challenges.
  • The power of innovating on digitalisation and accessibility: Museums have become innovative playing-grounds where new technologies can be developed and applied to everyday life. Digital innovation can make museums more accessible and engaging, helping audiences understand complex and nuanced concepts.
  • The power of community building through education: Through its collections and programmes, museums thread a social fabric that is essential in community building. By upholding democratic values and providing life-long learning opportunities to all, they contribute to shaping an informed and engaged civil society.

In this edition of International Museum Day, we invite you to join thousands of museums around the world in unleashing the power of museums!

Download the poster

For each International Museum Day, ICOM chooses a theme that is at the heart of society’s concerns. This year is special for ICOM as it is the year of the triennial General Conference to be held in the Czech Republic in Prague in August 2022. Traditionally, in these years, the theme of the International Museum Day is the same as the conference theme.

The theme of this poster is “The Power of Museums” and it evokes the forward movement in which museums find themselves today and their creativity in moving towards a free and sustainable society. The bright colours of the poster recall the visual and graphic atmosphere of ICOM Prague 2022, creating a link between the two events.

Have fun with it!

We invite you to adapt the poster according to the needs of your museum: maybe to promote a special exhibition or any other event. A customisable version of the poster is available, so we encourage you to involve the staff and the public of your museum to change it. Our aim is to have as many different versions as possible to represent the different challenges of the future and how museums can help to overcome them! When your masterpiece is finished, do not forget to snap a picture, upload it to your social media and tag us. We will share the best ones!

Customizable poster