Among the celebrations to welcome the seasonal change during the month of May is
International Museum Day – a highly anticipated event for the global museum community.
Around 18 May, excitement will grow in museums worldwide for the celebration of the anniversary of a unifying and universal event, International Museum Day (IMD). The tradition began in 1977, when ICOM established this particular celebration – the occasion for thousands of participating museums to organise events and activities around a common theme and to commit to their visitors, highlighting the valuable role played by museums as institutions that serve society and its development.
It has always been celebrated on 18 May, but organisers can decide on the duration of the festivities: an hour, a night or an entire week – everyone can place museums in the spotlight as they best see fit. In 2017, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with
more than 36,000 museums hosting events in some 156 countries.
The theme chosen for 2018 is "
Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics".
Hyperconnectivity is a term invented in 2001 to design the multiple means of communication we have today, such as face-to-face contact, email, instant messaging, telephone or the Internet. This global network of connections becomes each day more complex, diverse and integrated. In the hyperconnected world of today, museums join the trend. This is the reason why the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has chosen the theme “Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics” for the International Museum Day 2018.
Don't forget to add the
IMD2018 tag to promote your International Museum Day activities on our IMD world map. See more at
http://imd.icom.museum!