Call for Paper and Poster Proposals, IIC Congress Ghent 2026 

Ensembles: Conserving Interconnected Artworks, Artefacts and Collections

Deadline: 27 June 2025, 5pm (BST/UK)

We are thrilled to invite proposals for the 31st biennial IIC Congress, 8-11 September 2026, set to take place both in-person and online from the vibrant city of Ghent, Belgium.

IIC will once again embrace a fully hybrid format, fostering a more sustainable, accessible, and globally connected event. By blending in-person experiences with digital participation, we are ensuring that professionals from across the globe can take part in this inspiring gathering of conservation experts.

Submit your proposal and be part of an extraordinary international exchange of ideas, innovation, and expertise.

The Congress theme is ‚Ensembles: Conserving Interconnected Artworks, Artefacts and Collections‘.

A significant proportion of the world’s cultural heritage comprises interconnected works or collections that gain increased value and significance when considered as a whole. These groupings, often referred to as ensembles, can be found in fine art, ethnographic or world collections, architectural complexes, archaeological sites, and many other forms of artistic and historical expression. The conservation of cultural heritage ensembles needs to consider not only the individual needs of each component, but also the relationship between multiple pieces and their historical significance. Approaching ensembles in this holistic manner, important insights are gained on the depth of cultural narratives, the evolution of artistic traditions, and the broader historical and social connections that these works represent.

Ensembles manifest in various forms, including but not limited to:

• Individual works of art composed of multiple components, from all periods of history, including traditional art forms such polyptychs and retables, as well as contemporary practices including assemblage, mixed-media and installation art.
• Multiple works by a particular artist, or group of artists, that together capture the essence of their oeuvre, evolving over time and providing a holistic view of their artistic journey.
• Groups of artefacts made with similar materials or expressive forms, which showcase cohesion from commonalities in materials or modes of expression.
• Time-related ensembles, depicting specific periods of art/craft production, that create a narrative, reflecting the evolution and diversity of expression over time.
• Geographical ensembles, which connect collections or works from specific parts of the world and highlight shared cultural elements and provide insights into unique artistic expressions emerging from different regions.
• Site-related ensembles, collections or archives showing conservation problems.
• Partnerships utilising individual expertise, collaborative networks, and institutional resources to study, promote and safeguard artefacts and collections.

We are looking for new, original, unpublished work, relevant to the Congress theme and to the conservation profession.

Accepted papers will be published in the Congress Proceedings as a special supplement of Studies in Conservation. Selected posters will be displayed during the Congress and featured in an interactive digital platform.

Further details, including the full submission guidelines can be found here.