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Reimagining digital archives

A day of international exchange on accessibility, AI and open storage

23 April 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
Milan, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
In person, with simultaneous Italian/English interpretation

The event

Reimagining digital archives is a day of exchange and discussion organised by BAM! Strategie Culturali as part of the UAAO – Upskilling degli Archivi d’Arte e Operatori 4.0 project.

The initiative brings together archives, cultural institutions, museums, foundations, universities and professionals to explore themes, practices and tools related to the management and enhancement of digital archives. The day alternates contributions, case studies and discussion moments, with the aim of connecting different experiences and fostering the emergence of useful and transferable approaches.

Programme

From 10:30 a.m.: Registration desk opens and welcome

11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: Official welcome

The day is structured into three interconnected thematic modules:

Digital archives: breaking down barriers to increase access

11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

A discussion on challenges and opportunities related to access to digital archives and on how institutions and archives are rethinking languages, policies and services for broader and more effective use.

Speakers:

Sharon Hecker – Art historian and curator; Chair of the International Catalogue Raisonné Association (ICRA), specialising in modern and contemporary Italian art.
Alessandro Castiglioni – Deputy Director and Senior Curator at the Gallarate Art Museum – talk: ‘Italy 2050: the MA*GA Museum’s research centre in Gallarate – between archive promotion and digital experimentation’
Nicole Savoy – Digital art conservator, at Rhizome, a digital archive of digital art and ‘net art’. Expert on digital preservation, open data and the use of platforms.

Moderated by Francesco Tedeschi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Shaping digital archives with AI: tools and prospects

2:00 – 3:45 p.m.

An in-depth look at the applications of AI in archival processes and enhancement, with attention to potential, adoption criteria and organisational, ethical and governance implications.

Speakers:

Rossitza Atanassova – Digital Curator in the British Library’s Digital Research team, working on access, discovery and computational reuse of digital collections.
Stefano Trinchero – Chief of Technology at Promemoria Group, a company specialising in the preservation, organisation and promotion of historical archives and cultural heritage belonging to companies and institutions.
Flavia Erbosi – Research Fellow at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan; her research also covers theatrical censorship, Giovanni Testori and archival documents.
Francesca Ruch – Research Fellow on the Dicolab project at the University of Pavia in collaboration with the Giovanni Testori ETS Association; she has also curated exhibitions related to Giovanni Testori

Moderated by Luca Baraldi, Advisor Fondazione Kainòn

Open-access deposits and new opportunities to explore our heritage

4:00 – 5:45 p.m.

A reflection on emerging models that redefine the relationship between preservation and access, and on how the physical and digital dimensions can be integrated into new forms of public engagement.

Speakers:

Else Rosenqvist – Curator at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, specialising in the documentation and public access to the museum’s collections and archives.
Silvia Pellegrini – Curator of the Roman-era collections and the Archaeological Mapping Service at the Civic Museum of Modena. (confirmed to speak online).
Valeria Tassinari – Since 2022, she has been president of the ‘Il Guercino’ International Study Centre and is a member of the steering committee of the Carice Foundation. She works on exhibition projects and on the preservation and promotion of artistic and environmental heritage, with a particular focus on the relationship between the visual arts and the historical and natural context.

Isabella Villafranca – An architect specialising in archives, she works for Open Care (“the only company in Italy to offer integrated services for art collection management”), whose clients and partners include AitArt.

Ilaria Parini – An art historian currently enrolled in the Postgraduate School of Historical and Artistic Heritage at the University of Bologna. Through her professional experience, she has progressively specialised in the management, promotion and development of artists’ archives. Author of the thesis “The accessibility of storage facilities in art museums: a project for social inclusion.”

Moderated by Federico Borreani, BAM! Strategie Culturali

From 5:45 p.m.

Final aperitif and informal networking moment

Participation

The event will take place in person in Milan.

Simultaneous interpretation Italian–English and English–Italian will be provided throughout the event.

The event is aimed at professionals, researchers, cultural institutions and students interested in the management, enhancement and use of digital archives.