If we imagine a truly regenerative museum in the future, what might it feel like to walk into that space? We recorded a series of episodes for a special series of Museums and Chill – The ICOM Podcast from ICOM Dubai 2025, a moment where museum thinkers come together to reflect on the role of museums in a changing world. This episode engages with two of the Conference’s key sub-themes: New Technologies and Intangible Heritage. As museums navigate rapid technological transformation alongside shifting social, environmental, and demographic realities, questions around innovation, responsibility, and cultural continuity are becoming increasingly central. This conversation explores how museums can embrace new technologies to enhance creation, preservation, learning, and engagement, while safeguarding the integrity and authenticity of intangible heritage. It reflects on how institutions can integrate digital advancement thoughtfully, not only to improve operations and audience experiences, but to ensure that living traditions, knowledge systems, and cultural expressions remain meaningful and resilient within rapidly evolving communities. Every three years, museum professionals gather at the ICOM General Conference to listen, to question, and to exchange ideas. Across these conversations, we explore how museums are evolving, how responsibilities are shifting, and how culture continues to connect communities around the world. Join us while we discover how regenerative thinking goes beyond reducing impact, toward restoring ecosystems, strengthening communities, and reshaping institutional mindsets with Adib Dada. This episode's guest Adib Dada is an internationally recognized regenerative advisor, environmental architect, and founder of theOtherDada (tOD), an advisory and architecture practice, pioneering nature-based design rooted in biomimicry and systems thinking. His work bridges architecture, ecology, and art to regenerate cities and restore biodiversity, advancing a new paradigm where the built environment develops into a living system for all of Life to thrive. This episode's host Anapaula García Soto is a Communications Coordinator at the International Council of Museums Secretariat in Paris, and producer and host of the ICOM podcast Museums and Chill. She works on editorial and storytelling initiatives highlighting diverse museum perspectives. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Digital Media and a Master’s degree in Creative Project Management, Culture and Design. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed by our podcast’s guests are their own and do not reflect the opinions or views of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and its bodies and entities. The content provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. ICOM and its bodies and entities do not endorse or take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed by guests during the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to conduct their own research and seek professional advice when making decisions based on the information discussed in this podcast.
