Conférence internationale et interdisciplinaire, A Future for Whose Past? examine de manière critique les processus de sélection, de légitimation et de transmission du patrimoine culturel. Organisée par Silke Langenberg (ETH Zurich, chaire de Construction Heritage and Preservation), avec la co-organisation de Nicola Braghieri (EPFL), et en collaboration avec ICOMOS Suisse ainsi qu’un réseau d’institutions académiques et culturelles, la conférence met l’accent sur les héritages des minorités, des groupes marginalisés et des communautés sans représentation. Elle propose de repenser les pratiques patrimoniales à l’aune de l’inclusion, de la diversité des mémoires et des enjeux sociétaux contemporains.
The international and interdisciplinary conference A Future for Whose Past? critically examines the processes through which cultural heritage is selected, legitimized, and transmitted. Organized by Silke Langenberg (ETH Zurich, Chair of Construction Heritage and Preservation), with co-organization by Nicola Braghieri (EPFL), and in collaboration with ICOMOS Suisse and a broader network of academic and cultural institutions, the conference focuses on the heritage of minorities, marginalized groups, and communities without representation. It calls for a rethinking of heritage practices in light of inclusion, diversity of memory, and contemporary societal challenges.
In 1975, the European Architectural Heritage Year was launched with the motto: “A future for our past.” Fifty years later, we ask: Whose past will monument preservation safeguard in the future?
Climate change, globalization, migration, civil rights movements, and digital transformation have deeply reshaped living environments. Despite ongoing discussions about inclusion and representation, institutional frameworks and mechanisms still often marginalize those without political leverage, representation, or historical visibility. Although the boundaries of what is considered ‘heritage’ are shifting, the concerns of already marginalized groups are still not being sufficiently taken into account.
This conference addresses the question of who defines what is worthy of preservation. Under what conditions—and through which voices, histories, and cultural expressions—are certain narratives excluded from heritage frameworks? What roles do cultural experts, associations, and policies play in shaping (or limiting) recognition? Can and should we rethink or even completely redefine monument preservation from the perspectives of social justice, welfare, and remembrance policy?
The expanding discourse around intangible cultural heritage, Indigenous architecture, and postcolonial memory has already changed the field of monument preservation—but much work remains to be done. Would it be possible to conceive and practice monument preservation in a more inclusive way, and to learn from the perspectives of those who have been overlooked or underrepresented? What would it mean for heritage conservation to focus
