The Ministry of Culture has announced the results of PAC2026—the Plan for Contemporary Art—a public call for proposals launched by the General Directorate for Contemporary Creativity within the Department of Cultural Activities. The initiative, which represents one of the main instruments of public support for Italy’s contemporary artistic heritage, will fund 29 projects spread across the entire peninsula through a total investment of 3 million euros. The Plan’s objective is to support the growth, production, and promotion of the public heritage of contemporary art and creativity, strengthening the system of public collections through initiatives that combine scientific rigor, innovative design, and widespread dissemination across the country.
The 2026 edition involves a total of 15 Italian regions, confirming a broad geographic distribution spanning the north, center, south, and the islands. The selected projects are led by a variety of public entities, including state institutions, municipal museums, universities, foundations, archives, and other cultural venues, forming a comprehensive system that involves institutions of different types and sizes.
According to the Ministry of Culture, this territorial distribution demonstrates the Plan for Contemporary Art’s ability to support a polycentric national system, promoting not only major museums but also smaller local organizations that have developed a well-established program in the field of contemporary art over the years. The aim is to foster widespread growth of the public contemporary art heritage by supporting projects capable of producing lasting effects on the Italian cultural system.
Commenting on the results of the 2026 edition is Costantino D’Orazio, Director General of Contemporary Creativity at the Ministry of Culture: “The Plan for Contemporary Art,” he says, “continues to be a strategic tool through which the Ministry of Culture supports the growth of Italy’s contemporary cultural heritage, placing substantial emphasis on the quality of the projects. The results of PAC2026 paint a picture of a dynamic, widespread system capable of engaging institutions of various types and sizes. Over the years, the caliber of ideas and productions has risen, transforming this initiative into an essential collective event against which the nation’s most vibrant cultural entities are measured. The commitment of the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity remains to develop these initiatives in an increasingly strategic and structural manner, with the aim of promoting contemporary art throughout the country.”
The 2026 edition of the Plan is structured, as in previous years, into three distinct areas of intervention, covering the entire cycle of the creation and development of the public contemporary art collection: from the acquisition of works to the production of new works, and finally to the promotion of donations recently added to public collections.
Area 1, dedicated to acquisitions, funds a total of 15 projects. Of these, 14 fall under Section I, which is dedicated to the acquisition of works created in the last seventy years, with the goal of expanding public collections through the addition of works representative of contemporary artistic production. Here are the winners:
Another project (Municipality of Rimini, Fellini Museum, Rimini) was selected for Section II, dedicated to the acquisition of collections or archives, thereby recognizing the importance of preserving and safeguarding documentary and archival collections—fundamental elements for research, study, and the reconstruction of the history of contemporary art.
Alongside these acquisitions, PAC2026 reaffirms its support for artistic production throughArea 2, which funds 12 new commissions. This is one of the defining aspects of the Plan, as it does not merely support the acquisition of existing works but directly promotes the creation of new works destined to become permanent parts of public collections. In this way, the program actively engages with artistic production processes, offering artists the opportunity to develop original projects that will become part of the national public heritage. The winners:
In fact, a focus on public commissions is one of the defining features of the Plan for Contemporary Art. By supporting the creation of new works, the Ministry of Culture promotes the growth of public collections not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of artistic research and contemporary experimentation, helping to strengthen the relationship between cultural institutions and artists.
Area III , on the other hand,focuses on the promotion of donations. In this sector, PAC2026 funds two projects dedicated to the enhancement of significant heritage recently added to public collections (University of Bergamo, “Ada and Mario De Micheli” Art Collection, Bergamo; City of Lecce, City Historical Archive, Lecce). The goal is to support the incorporation of these works through initiatives that promote their study, conservation, cataloging, public access, and full integration into the museum exhibitions and cultural activities of the institutions that have received them. The final rankings are published at the following link: https://creativitacontemporanea.cultura.gov.it/pac2026-vincitori/
|
| PAC2026: 29 Projects Selected; 3 Million for Contemporary Public Heritage |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
IT
FR
DE
ES
CN
