Public programme

The MNAC is organising an agenda that is open to the public including conferences and activities that will take place all over Catalonia. The aim is not only to share and make the process of expansion and transformation of the Museum more transparent, but also to foster a debate that will have an impact on the layout of the New MNAC.

The programme is intended for all audiences, from the MNAC’s teams to professionals in the sector, artists, the Museum’s local community, the educational sector and the general public. It will be presented in different in-person and digital formats, as well as in publications.

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is launching the public programme entitled MNAC in Transformation, a forum for collective reflection and debate designed to share and shed light on the process of expanding the Museum, which will enable it to improve its facilities, strengthen its public role and forge new ways of engaging with the public.

The programme features industry professionals, artists and creators, the educational community and a diverse audience, with the aim of actively engaging society as a whole. It will be rolled out across Catalonia in a range of face-to-face and digital formats, in collaboration with community organisations and networks, as well as through trade publications.

MNAC in Transformation kicks off with the series of talks entitled “Thinking about the museum, imagining futures”. From October 2026 to November 2027, we will be rethinking the role of museums in the face of the social, cultural, technological, economic and environmental changes that define our century.

This series will feature some of the most influential museum directors and architects on the contemporary cultural scene who are engaged in major cultural and architectural projects and have direct experience with transformation processes comparable to those currently facing the MNAC.

Building on its firm commitment to public service, this series will take a critical look at new museum models, the role of national museums in a globalised world, architecture as a driver of institutional transformation, governance and accountability, innovation in cultural management, new technologies, emerging audiences, sustainability and the contribution of culture to contemporary urban and social challenges.

The programme combines domestic and international perspectives with a clear commitment to the public good and community engagement. It aims to help people understand why the MNAC is undergoing a transformation, what impact this process will have, and what opportunities it opens up. It also aims to foster understanding, trust and engagement concerning a strategic project for Barcelona and also for Catalonia.

“Thinking about the museum, imagining futures” invites us to reflect collectively on what the museums of the future should look like as the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya moves forward with its expansion and transformation.

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The MNAC in Transformation programme is supported by Agrolimen.

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→ “Thinking about the museum, imagining futures” will continue throughout 2027 with new voices and perspectives from the worlds of museums, architecture, the arts and intellectual discourse. Among those confirmed to attend are Marion Ackermann, president of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin; Eduard Bech, director of the Museu de l’Empordà; Miguel Falomir, director of the Museo Nacional del Prado; Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, London; Laurent Le Bon, president of the Centre Pompidou; and Jesús Navarro, director of the Museu Morera. Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Lleida; Orhan Pamuk, writer, and Mireia Rosich, director of the Biblioteca Museu Víctor Balaguer in Vilanova i la Geltrú.

With the collaboration of:

The programme started with the lecture Imagining the future of museums by museum expert András Szántó, held in the Sala Oval. In this video you can see the summary of the main ideas that Szántó shared with the 500 attendees.

The programme is still ongoing in March with an event that pays homage to female artists born between 1920 and 1950. The event is jointly organised with the Xarxa de Museus d’Art de Catalunya and curated by Elina Norandi, aiming to raise the profile of women who have been left on the margins of art history and give them the recognition they deserve.

On Saturday, 21 March, we are organising the conference entitled Thinking about the New MNAC from perspective of the arts, which includes three events organised together with other institutions and addresses a variety of perspectives. Specialists in the arts, writers, visual artists and young creators will share their perspectives and proposals on the possible futures of the New MNAC.

The day will combine several formats open to the public: a live podcast episode, the presentation of artistic projects and a new interpretation of the collections through dance. The programme is designed to bring the public closer to the great challenges of the future and the reflections that are currently shaping the New MNAC.

It is an invitation to think, feel and imagine the Museum from different perspectives, connecting research, live arts and new contemporary viewpoints.