Gibellina: the Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2026.

Recognition from the Ministry of Culture for a project that combines creativity, urban regeneration and enhancement of cultural heritage.

The Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, proclaimed it yesterday, October 31, during the ceremony that took place today in Rome, in the Spadolini Hall of the Ministry, which was attended by the General Director of Contemporary Creativity, Angelo Piero Cappello, and the President of the Jury, Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.

The ceremony took place in the presence of representatives of the five finalist cities: Carrara, Gallarate, Gibellina, Pescara and Todi.

The winning city, thanks also to the state contribution of one million euros, will be able to showcase, for a period of one year, cultural projects that include activities such as exhibitions, festivals and reviews, in addition to the creation and redevelopment of spaces and areas dedicated to the enjoyment of contemporary art.

These are the reasons for the jury's choice, which came to fruition at the end of the selection procedure conducted in full autonomy by the members: "The first 'Italian Capital of Contemporary Art' with its candidacy offers our country an organic and solid project, delivering to today's Italy an exemplary model of cultural intervention, based on values ​​and actions that recognize art as having a social function and culture as a common good. For its planning capacity to reactivate its extraordinary heritage of works, combining in the present memory and future, conservation and enhancement, attention to the local and international ambition; for its capacity to involve the new generations and all citizens, questioning the wider territory on the basis of a common civic awareness, forming alliances with public and private, national and transnational institutions; for being a pioneer city of what we now call urban regeneration, and for its ability to be both a city-work and a city to live in: for its project, with which the city will become a large laboratory where the practices and energies of contemporary art will be called to share thoughts and solutions on the themes of public space, community, landscape, sustainability and the capacious concept of heritage. For all these reasons stated above, we believe we can identify the city of Gibellina as the 'Italian Capital of Contemporary Art' 2026".

"The institution of the title of 'Italian Capital of Contemporary Art' – declared Minister Giuli – aims to pay a new, dutiful tribute to Italian creativity and genius, and is the confirmation of the Government's active commitment to restore to Italy, its cities, its territories and its inhabitants, the awareness of being Italy.".

"I express my most sincere congratulations to Gibellina, the city awarded the title of 'Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2026'. A prestigious recognition that represents an important opportunity for community development starting from the valorization of the cultural and creative excellence that characterizes it, as well as an occasion to give further impetus to the territory, projecting it increasingly to the center of the international scene. My compliments also to the other finalist cities for the proposals developed, all of the highest quality”, is the comment of the Undersecretary for Culture, Lucia Borgonzoni.

SUMMARY OF THE WINNING PROJECT

“Bring Me the Future”: An ambitious project that develops through initiatives related to art and contemporary creativity, from cultural planning to urban regeneration, restoration and above all the construction of a vision of the future that can take into account beauty as a shared and regenerating value.

THE 2024 SELECTION PROCEDURE

23 Italian cities have submitted their candidature dossiers to the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture. The names of the five finalist cities were announced in October, which the Jury, chaired by Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and composed of Sofia Gnoli, Walter Guadagnini, Renata Cristina Mazzantini and Vincenzo Santoro, chose after examining the applications received. The individual delegations subsequently presented to the Jury the projects developed for each one during public hearings, which took place on October 25 in Rome, in the Spadolini Hall of the Ministry of Culture.

THE TITLE OF ITALIAN CAPITAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART

The Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture launched the call for applications on 15 April 2024 for the designation of the first “Italian Capital of Contemporary Art” for the year 2026. The new recognition is established to encourage and support the planning and implementation capacity of Italian cities in the field of promotion and valorization of contemporary art.

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