29 May Official Statement – Contemporánea – CGAC

Official Statement by Contemporánea, the Association of Contemporary Art Galleries of Galicia.

From Contemporánea, the Association of Contemporary Art Galleries of Galicia, we wish to express our concern regarding the procedure used for the appointment of the new director of the Galician Centre for Contemporary Art (CGAC), which has resulted in the selection of a candidate who, in our view, does not meet the essential requirements to lead an institution that serves as the flagship of contemporary visual arts in our region.

We believe that the leadership of an institution of the CGAC’s significance and stature should be determined through an open, transparent and competitive process, based on the public evaluation of merits, professional trajectory and an institutional project. The model ultimately applied, restricted to mechanisms of discretionary appointment within the civil service framework, limits the participation of professionals with extensive experience in the management, research, production and internationalisation of contemporary art. In our opinion, this procedure does not guarantee the best possible selection for the leadership of an institution as important and influential as the CGAC.

For decades, Galicia’s artistic community has been building a diverse professional ecosystem connected to international contemporary debates and practices. Throughout this process, art galleries have played an essential role in supporting artists, developing audiences, promoting the circulation of Galician artistic production and strengthening the international visibility of our cultural system. We therefore believe that public institutions should promote governance models aligned with recognised standards of good practice at both national and European levels.

At Contemporánea, we advocate for strengthening the autonomy, stability and professional excellence of Galicia’s cultural institutions by ensuring processes that inspire confidence within the sector and contribute to reinforcing the prestige of the CGAC as a leading space for contemporary artistic creation. In this regard, we join the recent statements issued by the Vegliota Collective and the broader concerns expressed across the sector.

For these reasons, we call on the Regional Ministry of Culture to open a direct dialogue with professional organisations in order to listen to the concerns that have been raised and explore possible solutions.