CGAC leadership appointment sparks cultural governance crisis in Galicia

The appointment of Eva López Tarrío as director of the Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea (CGAC) has triggered widespread protest from the Galician art community. The Xunta de Galicia selected López Tarrío, a secondary school teacher with a doctorate in Fine Arts, over candidates with specialized contemporary art management experience. Over 1,000 art professionals signed a manifesto organized by the Asociación Cultural Vegliota denouncing the selection process as irregular and a threat to institutional autonomy. A protest was held at the CGAC coinciding with the press conference for artist Misha Bies Golas's exhibition, which was subsequently cancelled; access to the museum was blocked. The controversy has drawn criticism from the universities of Vigo and Santiago de Compostela, as well as museum directors and cultural associations. Critics argue the appointment represents a dangerous regression for a key institution in contemporary art conservation, production, and debate.