Museum Network Conferences

Museum Network Conferences


Since 1996, the Vitra Design Museum has organized the international muscon conference in cooperation with annually changing local hosts. The aim of this conference is to promote the international exchange of travelling exhibitions and other collaborative initiatives among museum professionals and decision makers. Outside of Europe muscon is also regularly held in the United States and Asia-Pacific. The muscon network has brought together several hundred institutions and contributed significantly to further a productive exchange of travelling exhibitions in the international museum landscape.

In a very collegial and cooperative atmosphere museum directors, head curators, and exhibition planners may share their expertise, strategize on new topics and establish new contacts. muscon primarily focuses on institutions in the area of design and architecture, but is also open to museums in the fields of fine art, cultural history, science, and other disciplines. The general format of each muscon consists of brief presentations by participants on current or upcoming travelling exhibitions. Additionally, the program includes more informal gatherings, such as hosted dinners, local trips and site visits.

To date, partners who have hosted muscon include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Design Museum London, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Triennale Milano, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Powerhouse Museum Sydney, Design Miami/ and The Wolfsonian—FIU, and many others.

Upcoming Conferences

Upcoming Conferences

 

muscon Lisbon 2025
The next muscon in Europe will take place from
8–11 October 2025 and will be hosted by MUDE and MAAT 

For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, please contact muscon(at)design-museum.de.


You can revoke the agreement that the Vitra Design Museum may process and use the data you have provided for the purpose of sending you e-mail newsletters at any time by clicking the unsubscribe button inside the newsletter, by sending written notice to Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH, Charles-Eames-Str. 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Deutschland, or to privacy@design-museum.de. As soon as you revoke such agreement, the data you provided will be deleted and no longer will be used to send you the newsletter.

We collect, process or use personal data only within the scope of data protection regulations. For details, please refer to our Privacy Policy, which you can access down below or request from us at any time.

 

Past Conferences

Past Conferences

 

Virtual

2021   muscon Virtual
2020   muscon Virtual

Europe

2024   Barbican, V&A London, the Design Museum, London, UK
2023   Plateforme 10, Lausanne, CH
2022   Triennale Milano, IT
2019   Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, CH
2018   Z33 – House for Contemporary Art and C-mine design
           centre, Hasselt and Genk, BE
2017   Ateneum Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art
           Kiasma / Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki, FI

2016    MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts /
            Contemporary Art, Vienna, AT
2015    Museu del Disseny de Barcelona, ES
2014    Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, DE
2013    Atomium, CIVA – International Center for City,
            Architecture & Landscape, ­­­­­­­City of Brussels, BE
2012    National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design,
            Oslo, NO
2011    MUDE – Museu do Design e da Moda, Lisbon, PT
2010    V&A and The Design Museum, London, UK
2009    Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, DK
2008    Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza, Vigo, ES
2007    L’Espace de l’Art Concret, Mouans Sartoux, FR
2006    Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, CH
2005    Triennale Milano, IT
2004    Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, CZ
2003    Kunsthal, NAI, Museum Boijmans Rotterdam, NL
2002    Artium Basque Museum-Center of Contemporary Art,
            Vitoria-Gasteiz, ES
2001    Vitra Design Museum Berlin, DE
1999    The Design Museum, London, UK
1998    Trapholt Museum of Modern Art and Design, Kolding, DK
1997    Groninger Museum, Groningen, NL
1996    Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, DE

America

2023    Goethe-Institut, Museum of Arts and Design,
            New York, USA
2008 – Design Miami/, The Wolfsonian—FIU, Miami, USA
2018    
2007    Design Miami/, USA
2003    Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City, MX

Asia-Pacific

2012    Hong Kong Design Centre, Hong Kong, HK
2011    Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, TW
2009    Design Nippon Association, Tokyo, JP
2008    City of Seoul, KR
2006    Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, AU

muscon Community

muscon Community


Since 1996, the following institutions have participated in the muscon conferences:

Europe

Imperial Furniture Collection, Vienna Furniture Museum, Austria
Kunst Haus Wien, Austria
Kunsthalle Wien, Austria
Kunsthaus Graz, Austria
MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art - Vienna, Austria
Atomium, Brussels, Belgium
CIVA - International Center for City, Architecture & Landscape , Brussels, Belgium
Design Museum Brussels, Belgium
Design Museum Gent, Belgium
Grand-Hornu, Hornu, Belgium
Z33 Center for Contemporary Art, Hasselt, Belgium
Museum of Arts and Crafts (MUO), Zagreb, Croatia
Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, Croatia
Moravian Gallery in Brno, Czech Republic
Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague, Czech Republic
Villa Tugendhat, Brno, Czech Republic
Danish Architecture Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
Danish Design Center DDC, Copenhagen, Denmark
Designmuseum Danmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humblebaek, Denmark
Trapholt, Kolding, Denmark
Museum of Estonian Architecture, Tallinn, Estonia
Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Design Museum, Helsinki, Finland
EMMA - Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Espoon kaupunki, Finland
HAM Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Kunsthalle Helsinki - Helsingin Taidehalli, Finland
Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland
Museum of Finnish Architecture, Helsinki, Finland
Tampere Art Museum, Finland
The Alvar Aalto Foundation, Helsinki, Finland
The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
Domaine de Boisbuchet, Lessac, France
Espace de l'Art Concret, Mouans-Sartoux, FranceMusée d'Art Contemporain, Lyon, France
Pavilion de l'Arsenal - Centre d'information, de documentation et d'exposition d'urbanisme et d'architecture, Paris, France
Deutsches Architektur Museum (D.A.M.), Frankfurt, Germany
Die Neue Sammlung München - The International Design Museum Munich, Germany
Grassi Museum - Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Leipzig, Germany
Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Germany
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany
M:AI - Museum of Architecture and Engineering, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
MARTa, Herford, Germany
Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Germany
Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim, Germany
Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany
Barbican Centre, London, Great Britain
De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, Great Britain
Design Museum, London, Great Britain
Fashion and Textile Museum, London, Great Britain
RIBA Trust, London, Great Britain
The National Centre for Craft & Design, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, Great Britain
The Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool, Great Britain
Urbis, Manchester, Great Britain
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
Ernst Muzeum, Budapest, Hungary
Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Kilkenny, Ireland
National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Design Museum Holon, Israel
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Clac, Cantu, Italy
Fondazione Bisazza, Montecchio, Italy
IULM, Milan, Italy
Le Stanze del Vetro, Venezia, Italy
Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma (MACRO), Italy
Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto (MART), Trento, Italy
Museo Kartell, Noviglio, Italy
Triennale Milano, Milan, Italy
University Iuav of Venice, Italy
LUCA - Luxembourg Center for Architecture, Luxembourg
Mudam Luxembourg - Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg
Centraal Museum Utrecht, Netherlands
Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherlands
Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, Netherlands
International New Town Institute (INTI), Almere, Netherlands
Kunsthal Rotterdam, Netherlands
MoMu, Fashion Museum Antwerp, Netherlands
MOTI - Museum of the Image, Breda, Netherlands
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Museum Hilversum, Netherlands
Museum of Modern Art Arnhem, Netherlands
Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Enschede, Netherlands
Stedelijk Museum 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
TextielMuseum, Tilburg, Netherlands
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway
The Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture, Oslo, Norway
Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Warsaw, Poland
Centre for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland
Muzeum Sztuki, Łódź, Poland
National Museum Warsaw, Poland
Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisboa, Portugal
MUDE - Museu do Design e da Moda Design and Fashion Museum. Francisco Capelo Collection, Lisbon, Portugal
Moscow Design Museum, Russia
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums, Scotland
Glasgow Life/Glasgow Museums, Scotland
National Museums of Scotland, Scotland
Museum of Architecture and Design - MAO, Ljubljana, Slovenia
CentroCentro Cibeles de Cultura y Ciudadanía, Madrid, Spain
Fundación Diseño Madrid (DIMAD), Madrid, Spain
Fundación La Caixa, Barcelona, Spain
Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza, La Coruña and Vigo, Spain
Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM), Valencia, Spain
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas, Madrid, Spain
Museu del Disseny de Barcelona, Spain
San Telmo Museum, San Sebastian, Spain
Falkenbergs museum, Sweden
Landskrona museum, Sweden
National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden
Östergötlands museum, Linköping, Sweden
The Swedish Centre for Art and Design (ArkDes), Stockholm, Sweden
Vandalorum, Värnamo, Sweden
Archizoom EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
Bellerive Museum, Zurich, Switzerland
Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
MUDAC - Musée de design et arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, Switzerland
Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss National Museum - National Museum Zurich, Switzerland
Vögele Kulturzentrum, Pfäffikon, Switzerland
Istanbul Modern, Turkey

 


America

Faena Arts Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina
FIESP – Federação das Industrias do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil
Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, São Paulo, Brazil
Alberta College of Art + Design, Canada
Art Gallery of Alberta, Canada
Design Exchange, Canada's Design Museum, Toronto, Canada
Musée canadien des civilisations, Gatineau, Canada
MARCO Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico
Museo Franz Mayer. Artes Decorativas en Mexico, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, USA
Bard Graduate Center, New York, USA
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, USA
Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, USA
Dallas Museum of Art, USA
Design Miami, USA
El Museo del Barrio, New York, USA
Foto+Synthesis, New York, USA
Grand Rapids Art Museum, USA
Harry Ransom Center, Austin, USA
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, USA
Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA
Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
Kunsthalle Detroit, USA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, USA
Milwaukee Art Museum, USA
Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, USA
MIT Museum, Cambridge, USA
Modern Art Museum Fort Worth, USA
Museum of Design Atlanta, USA
Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, USA
Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, USA
Palm Springs Art Museum, USA
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, USA
RISD Museum, Providence, USA
Saint Louis Art Museum, USA
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts / Washington University in St. Louis, USA
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA
The Art Institute of Chicago, USA
The Frost Art Museum, USA
The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn USA
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, USA
The Wolfsonian - FIU, Miami Beach, USA


Asia-Pacific

Melbourne Museum, Australia
ArtScience Museum, Singapore
Capital Museum, Beijing, China
China Industrial Design Museum, Hong Kong, China
China Museum of Design, Beijing, China
Communications Museum, Macao, China
Design Space Croft, Korea
FANG Media, China
Guangzhou Museum, China
Hanart TZ Gallery and Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong, China
He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
Hong Kong Architecture Center, Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, China
Hong Kong Arts Centre, China
Hong Kong Design Centre, China
Hong Kong Design Institute, China
Hong Kong Heritage Museum, China
Hong Kong Museum of Art, China
Hong Kong Museum of Education, China
Leisure and Cultural Services Department, HKSAR Government, China
M+, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong, China
Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCa), Shanghai, China
Shanghai Zendai Himalayas Art Museum, China
Shenzhen Center for Design, China
Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, Shenzhen, China
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa, Japan
Daelim Museum, Seoul, Korea
Laurence Geoffrey's, Seoul, Korea
Chew´s Culture Foundation, Hong-gah Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Chi Mei Museum, Tainan, Taiwan
Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
National Science and Technology Museum, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan
Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taiwan
Xue Xue Institute, Taipei, Taiwan

Contact & Credits

Contact & Credits


For more information about muscon, please contact
muscon(at)design-museum.de

For more information on travelling exhibitions, please contact
cora.harris(at)design-museum.de


Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH
Charles-Eames-Str. 2
D -79576 Weil am Rhein
T +49.7621.702.3200
F +49.7621.702.3590
info(at)design-museum.de

Geschäftsführer:
Dr. Rolf Fehlbaum, Nora Fehlbaum
HRB 413299 Amtsgericht Freiburg
UST ID DE 813348482

Director:
Dr. Mateo Kries

Conception, design and realisation:
BOROS
www.boros.de

Privacy

Privacy

Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. The purpose of this Privacy Statement is to inform you about the type of personal data that will be collected when you use our website, muscon.org, and how we will process, use, and protect such data 

1. Scope 

1.1 

Use of the muscon.org website is subject to the Privacy Statement set out below. The muscon.org website is a service provided by Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH, Charles-Eames-Str. 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Deutschland (hereinafter, “Vitra Design Stiftung”). Where relevant, Vitra Design Stiftung is the controller pursuant to Article 4 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter, “GDPR”). 

 1.2 

Protecting your personal data is important to us, in particular, where respecting your personal rights in connection with the processing and use of such data is concerned. The term personal data refers to information regarding the personal and/or factual circumstances of an identified or identifiable natural person including the person’s name, postal address, e-mail address and/or telephone number and user data such as the IP address. We collect, process, and use your personal data in compliance with the relevant laws. 

2. Automated Data Collection and Processing by Your Browser 

2.1 

As with every website, our server automatically collects the following information and temporarily saves it in server log files which are transmitted by your browser unless you have deactivated such function: 

- the IP address of the computer transmitting the request 

- the client’s file request 

- the http response code 

- the volume of data transmitted 

- the website from which you access our website (referrer URL) 

- the date and time of the server request 

- the type, version and language of your browser 

- the operating system on the computer transmitting the request 

Our server log files are not evaluated based on personal use. We cannot allocate this data to specific persons at any time. Also, we do not merge this data with data from other sources. 

2.2 

In order to learn about your individual preferences and adjust our offerings optimally to best meet your needs, we use so-called “cookies” on our website vitra.com. Cookies are small text files that are saved on your computer or mobile device and that your computer or mobile device can retrieve at a later time. We use the consent management service provided by Usercentrics GmbH, which helps you to understand the functionality and characteristics of cookies and to select or deactivate various tags, trackers and analytic tool used on this website. You can access all cookie information and settings by clicking the “Cookie Settings” on the bottom on this page.   

2.3 

In order to offer you the opportunity to purchase tickets for certain events via our website, we use the services of the Eventbrite platform by Eventbrite Inc., 155 5th Street, Floor 7, San Francisco, CA 94103, Reg. No. 4742147, USA. Eventbrite's European representative is Eventbrite NL BV, based in Silodam 402, 1013AW, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

If you wish to register for an event, you will be redirected to the Eventbrite website. Eventbrite collects personal information when you voluntarily provide the information as part of the ticket ordering process for one of our events. 

Eventbrite will use the personal data you provide during the ordering process to process your ticket purchase and for its own marketing purposes. For more information on Eventbrite's privacy policy please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/support/articles/en_US/Troubleshooting/eventbrite-privacy-policy?lg=en_GB

Eventbrite transmits certain personal data to us as the organizer of the event. We use the data for the purposes of preparation and follow-up of the events you have booked. The legal bases for the integration of Eventbrite and the processing of your data by us are Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR and Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in offering a simple, secure and user-friendly ticket ordering process as well as a professional organization of our events. 

3. Collection and Processing of Data Provided Voluntarily 

3.1 

Your provision of personal data to us by e-mail or via the contact form available on our website is voluntary. We use this data to process our contractual relationship with you and/or your inquiries. We only use your data for e-mail advertising purposes with your consent. We will erase the data so generated as soon as it no longer needs to be saved; if statutory retention periods apply, we will restrict the processing of such data. The legal basis is Article 6 (1) b) of the GDPR or Article 6 (1) f) of the GDPR. 

3.2 

If you want to subscribe to our newsletter, please provide your valid e-mail address, your first and last name and confirm that you agree to receive our newsletter. 

You thereby agree that the Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH may process and use the data you have provided for the purpose of sending you e-mail newsletters to inform you about the forthcoming Museum Network Conferences. 

You can revoke this agreement at any time by sending written notice to Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH, Charles-Eames-Str. 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Deutschland or to muscon@design-museum.de. As soon as you revoke such agreement, the data you provided will be deleted and no longer will be used to send you the newsletter. 

(The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) p. 1 a) of the GDPR) 

3.3 

Personal data provided to us via our website will be saved only for the time it takes us to meet the purpose for which you provided such data. When your contract has been fulfilled completely, your data will be blocked and then deleted in accordance with the relevant tax and trade regulations unless you have given your express consent to such data being used for other purposes. To the extent mandatory trade and tax retention periods need to be observed, the retention period for some types of data can be up to ten years. 

4. Transmission to Third Parties 

4.1 

We will not transmit any personal data you provide to us to any third parties. Personal data will be transmitted only 

- if you have given prior consent 

- to sub-contractors who need to receive and use such data for the purpose of fulfilling specific orders if required to process your inquiries, orders and use of our services 

- to service providers bound by instructions if required to process your order data in accordance with the law 

- to parties entitled to obtain such data if required to comply with statutory obligations 

6. Your Rights 

6.1 

At any time, at no cost to you and without providing any reason you can request information regarding the data relating to you which is saved in our systems as well as information regarding the origin, recipients or categories of recipients to whom such data has been transmitted and why such data has been saved. 

6.2 

In addition, legally you are entitled to have your personal data rectified, blocked or erased. Also, you can withdraw your consent to the use of your data at any time and without having to provide a reason. 

If we process your personal data to pursue our legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6 (1) f) of the GDPR, pursuant to Article 21 of the GDPR you have the right to object. In addition, you have the right to portability of your data and the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority if you are not satisfied with our processing of your personal data. 

6.3 

Please address any requests for information, inquiries, objections to the processing of your data, and any questions you may have to Vitra Design Stiftung gGmbH, Charles-Eames-Str. 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Deutschland or at muscon@design-museum.de. 

6.4 

For any questions in connection with data protection, you can also contact our data protection officer who can be reached at dsb@design-museum.de.