Galicia Contemporary Art Center

The Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea (CGAC), or Galician Contemporary Art Centre, is a contemporary art museum in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. Founded in 1993, it operates under the jurisdiction of the Xunta de Galicia (regional government of Galicia) with the mission of promoting culture in Galicia through the exhibition, enjoyment, and knowledge of contemporary artistic creation. The institution serves as a key platform for connecting Galician artists with broader Spanish and international art currents, while also functioning as a collecting and research institution dedicated to art from the second half of the 20th century to the present day.

The CGAC was established under Article 27.19 of the Statute of Autonomy of Galicia and through Decree 308/1989, with construction completed between 1993 and 1994. The centre opened in 1993 with an anthological exhibition by Maruja Mallo, though its stable programming began at the end of 1994 with the exhibition Itínere. Camiño e camiñantes. Since its inception, the institution has been directed by a succession of figures: Antón Pulido Novoa (1993-1994), Gloria Moure Cao (1994-1998), Miguel Fernández-Cid Enríquez (1998-2005), Manuel Olveira Paz (November 2005-June 2009), Miguel Von Hafe Pérez (November 2009-December 2014), and Santiago B. Olmo García (from July 2015). The CGAC is currently integrated into the organizational structure of the Consejería de Cultura y Turismo de la Junta de Galicia.

The CGAC's collection comprises approximately 1,300 works assembled since the mid-1990s, drawing from three principal sources: the collections of the Xunta de Galicia, works acquired directly by the centre, and pieces received through deposits or donations. The collection focuses on art from the second half of the 20th century to the present, with particular emphasis on maintaining a continuous dialogue between Galician artists and artistic production from the rest of Spain and the international arena. The institution's stated functions include promoting public knowledge of and access to contemporary art, guaranteeing the protection and conservation of works, developing temporary exhibition programs, maintaining a bibliographic and documentary fund, conducting research, publishing catalogues, and fostering cooperation with other institutions.

While specific individual masterpieces are not detailed in the available sources, the collection is distinguished by its Galician and international scope rather than by singular signature works. The sources emphasize the institutional priority of including works by Galician artists in dialogue with broader Spanish and international contemporary creation. The centre's programming has historically balanced established and emerging artists through temporary exhibitions, conferences, and workshops.

The CGAC building was designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira (born Matosinhos, 1933), making Santiago de Compostela the only city outside Portugal with two works by this architect, the other being the Faculty of Journalism at the University of Santiago de Compostela. The project began taking shape in 1988, was presented in 1992, and construction was completed between 1993 and 1994. The building occupies a site on the edge of Santiago de Compostela's historic quarter, adjacent to the Convento de San Domingos de Bonaval, which houses the Panteón de Galegos Ilustres and the Museo do Pobo Galego. The design responds to the terraced topography of the former convent garden, recovered as San Domingos Park in collaboration with Galician urbanist and landscape architect Isabel Aguirre. Siza himself noted that the garden's stepped character, with its zigzagging access paths, directly influenced the museum's organization, with visitors ascending via ramps and stairs to a roof terrace. The structure spans three floors containing an entrance porch, auditorium, coffee shop, library, administrative offices, and exhibition halls, including a notable double-height space. Materials, stone and glass on the facades, marble and wood inside, deliberately echo those of Santiago de Compostela. The accessible terrace offers views across the roofs of the old quarter and the convent. The building has been credited with successfully revitalizing a degraded area of the city that had been disrupted by the earlier opening of Calle Valle Inclán.

The CGAC is located in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, on the periphery of the monumental city centre. It is publicly owned and operated as part of the Xunta de Galicia's cultural infrastructure. The centre maintains a public coffee shop and offers public access to its exhibition spaces, library, and terrace. Its current institutional home is within the Consejería de Cultura y Turismo de la Junta de Galicia. Further visiting information is available through the centre's official website at http://cgac.xunta.gal/.