On 9 and 10 March, the Rijksmuseum will host the fifth Women in the Museum symposium, featuring two days of lectures, panels, and hands-on workshops.
The phrase ‘the future is female’ has resonated across activist and academic circles since the second feminist wave (1960s-1980s), gaining renewed interest from the 2010s onward. This raises the question: what could the future of gender-thinking look like within the walls of the museum? This fifth edition of the Women in the Museum conference series offers an opportunity to reflect on what we have built together as a museum and academic community, and, most importantly, to consider how gender- and women-focused research can be sustainably anchored in a rapidly changing world.
In the spirit of looking back and moving forward, we will explore how knowledge is passed between generations, delve into the complex relationship between museums and (feminist) activism, and engage with different approaches to reframing historical narratives. One of the key questions running through the program is how museums – especially those working with historical (e.g. Early Modern) collections – can actively engage in today’s gender discourses.
Program
Day 1: Monday 9 March 2026
We need to talk about the patriarchy
The story of ‘the patriarchy’ is a powerful one. How do we begin to rewrite this foundational narrative? In her book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule, Angela Saini explores how male dominance came to shape our societies and institutions, and how history itself offers alternative stories. This raises a pressing question for the museum field: how did our institutions become male-coded, and do alternatives exist? We will look at specific cases from museum professionals who are actively challenging this legacy from within the field.
Keynote by Angela Saini, journalist and Assistant Professor of Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Author of The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule
Other speakers include:
- Caroline Campbell, Director at National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin, Ireland)
- Stefan Dudink, Assistant Professor Gender & Diversity Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen (Nijmegen, the Netherlands)
- Bart Rutten, Artistic Director at Centraal Museum (Utrecht, the Netherlands)
- Maggie Greyson and Hillary Spencer, Futurists and Disruptive Thinkers
- Camille Morineau, Director of AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research & Exhibitions (Paris, France)
Day 2: Tuesday 10 March 2026
Let’s claim the future
How can museums become engaging institutions ready for the future of (intersectional) gender-thinking? And what role can feminist activism – both within and beyond museum walls – play in this new phase? We will explore worldwide examples of museums and museum professionals who are actively rethinking their methods and approaches.
Keynote by Mark Miller, Artist, Cultural Producer and Former Head of Learning at Tate Britain (Londen, United Kingdom)
Other speakers include:
- Fatima Bintou Rassoul Sy, Curator and the Director of Programmes at RAW Material Company (Dakar, Senegal)
- Warda El-Kaddouri, Journalist and Assistant Professor at Open University of the Netherlands
- Frederica van Dam, Curator at The Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (Ghent, Belgium)
- Margriet Schavemaker, the General Director at the Kunstmuseum (The Hague, the Netherlands)
- Aimée Zito Lema, Visual Artist and First Rijksmuseum Artist in Residence
Visit the Rijksmuseum website to view the detailed program and book your ticket.