The longlist for the “ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums,” established by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), has been announced. The list includes only the “Heritage of the Caspian” project (https://icom.museum/en/icom-award-for-sustainable-development-practice-in-museums-longlist-of-eligible-projects/) submitted by the “Surakhany” ship-museum from Azerbaijan.
A total of 124 countries submitted applications for the competition announced by ICOM in 2024. The jury made an initial selection from the projects, forming a longlist consisting of 130 projects from 60 countries. In the next stage, these projects will be evaluated to determine a shortlist, and ultimately, three finalists will be selected. The winners will be announced at ICOM's General Conference in Dubai in December 2025.
The projects are evaluated by an international jury based on the “2030 Agenda” and the five key directions of the Sustainable Development Goals (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership).
The “ICOM Award” is the first global award recognizing innovative initiatives and exemplary practices in sustainable development within the museum sector, and it holds special significance as the first international award addressed to all ICOM members.
It should be noted that the world's first tanker museum applied for the “ICOM Award” with the “Heritage of the Caspian” project, implemented in 2023 as an exhibition related to the “Year of Heydar Aliyev” and the 165th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company, as well as with the “Art Plast” project, realized last year within the framework of this project, dedicated to the “Year of Solidarity for a Green World” and “COP 29” with the motto “Less plastic, more life: together for a clean sea!”.
The “Heritage of the Caspian” exhibition showcased ancient exhibits recovered from the bottom of the Caspian Sea, as well as diving equipment and supplies of an underwater archaeological group. Visitors were also able to learn about Azerbaijan's submerged cities, sunken medieval ships, rich culture, and diverse trade relations.
Within the “Art Plast” project, installations were created using plastic, metal, and other household waste, including a 5-meter-long fish, as well as installations in the shape of a seagull, a seal, and a seahorse, each over 2 meters tall. A 4-meter-long world map installation made from plastic containers, and vases made from decommissioned boats were also placed in front of the “Surakhany” ship-museum. These “eco-arts” not only draw attention to the importance of keeping the environment clean, the dangers of plastic pollution for the ecosystem, and especially the necessity of protecting marine life, but also visually demonstrate the possibility of transforming waste into useful products and even creating works of art from them.