The race for the title of Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2027, established by the Ministry of Culture to promote creativity, the cultural production fabric and social inclusion through innovative art projects, has officially begun. There are six accepted project proposals submitted by eight Italian municipalities, individually or in aggregate, by the deadline of June 15, 2025.
At stake, in addition to the prestigious award, is a state grant of 1 million euros intended to finance a year of events, installations, exhibitions and activities in the area. An opportunity that many cities have taken to rethink themselves in a contemporary cultural key, launching paths of urban regeneration and dialogue with local communities.
It starts in Alba (Cuneo), with The Wind Factories, a project that seems to suggest a link between the territory’s industrial past and present and new immaterial visions of art. Then there is Chioggia (Venice) with Chioggia Porto delle Arti Contemporanee: the lagoon city focuses on the sea as a place of cultural exchange and contamination. Together Foligno and Spoleto (Perugia) are candidates, bringing the Foligno-Spoleto in Contemporanea project: the two Umbrian cities are united in a proposal that promises to be rich in synergies and territorial continuity.
Also part of the lot is Pietrasanta (Lucca), which seeks to bring the title to Tuscany after Carrara tried last year and made it to the finals. The title of the dossier is Being Art. Or of the humanity of art. Space also for Termoli (Campobasso) with Traiettorie contemporanee: a dynamic and transversal network between places and languages of art in Molise. Finally, Varese and Gallarate (Varese): Gallarate had also tried last year, reaching the finals, and this time it seeks a tandem with the capital city by presenting the dossier Beyond the Garden. Harmonious trajectories between art, industry and landscape.
A jury of five renowned experts, appointed by the Ministry of Culture, will evaluate the projects and select the finalist municipalities by September 15, 2025. The finalists will then be summoned by mid-October to apublic hearing, during which they will have the opportunity to present their dossiers in extended and interactive form. The proclamation of the Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2027 is expected by October 30, 2025.
The call aims not only at artistic excellence, but also at the enhancement of territories, citizen participation and social sustainability of the proposals. The goal is to build a year in which art is not an elitist event, but a widespread process capable of stimulating cultural growth and the well-being of local communities.
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| Italian capital of contemporary art 2027: six cities vying for the title |
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