PAC 2026: Italian Ministry of Culture invests €3 million in public museum collections

The Italian Ministry of Culture, through its Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity led by Angelo Piero Cappello, has launched the 2026 edition of the PAC (Piano per l'Arte Contemporanea) with a total investment of €3 million. The program aims to expand public museum collections by supporting acquisitions, production of new works, and valorization of donations. Applications open March 12 and close May 5, 2026, via the Directorate's online portal. Eligible applicants include all Italian public museums, institutes, and cultural venues, as well as private non-profit entities managing public cultural sites. The PAC is structured into three areas: acquisition of works from the last 70 years, production of new works by living artists, and projects to enhance donations. The initiative seeks to fill gaps in public collections, encourage long-term acquisition policies, and promote best practices in contemporary art management. Cappello emphasized the PAC's role as a stable tool for building structured, coherent, long-term acquisition strategies, while embracing the plurality of contemporary artistic languages and techniques.