Launched in 2011, the IIC’s Student & Emerging Conservator Conference (IIC-S&ECC) was created to support recent graduates and students in conservation as they shape their careers. With studio visits, interactive round tables, and social events, the conference offers a unique mix of practical advice and meaningful connection — including live-streamed sessions that welcome participants from all over the world.
In 2025, the conference will take place in Brazil for the first time — and it’s much more than just a new location. It’s an invitation to meet new people, explore the Instituto Inhotim (one of the world’s largest open-air museums), and engage with the vibrant and complex landscape of conservation-restoration in Brazil.
The theme The Living Lab captures what this conference is all about: seeing conservation not as something fixed or static, but as a living, evolving practice. One that’s shaped by experimentation, collaboration, and the realities we face in the world around us.
This means shifting the focus from just objects to the people, contexts, and processes behind them. Through The Living Lab, we’ll explore how to:
– Experiment with new ideas
– Reflect on ethics and impact
– Share tools and strategies
– Build a more inclusive and sustainable future for the profession
We want this conference to feel like a testing ground — a place where students and emerging conservators can push boundaries, connect with others, and reimagine what conservation can be.