Initiated by the Portuguese government in 1976, the State Contemporary Art Collection stands as a public collection featuring works across various media—painting, drawing, engraving, photography, sculpture, video, and installation—predominantly by Portuguese artists, though not exclusively.
Under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, administered through the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, these artworks find display in esteemed institutions like the Serralves Foundation, the Belém Cultural Centre Foundation, the Arpad Szenes — Vieira da Silva Foundation, and the Coimbra Contemporary Art Centre, among others, in Portugal and abroad.
The State Contemporary Art Collection holds a mission to ensure widespread access to the Portugal’s contemporary artistic legacy, prioritising policies that value, conserve, and kindle artistic innovation whilst engaging the artistic community. Additionally, it pursues an acquisition strategy that gives precedence to national creations, ensuring their appreciation across the Portuguese landscape.
Image: view of the exhibition Object, Body, and Space, with the installation Emigração (1994), by Ângela Ferreira, part of the CACE – Coleção de Arte Contemporânea do Estado. Photo by António Jorge Silva.
View of the exhibition "Object, Body, and Space", with works from CACE - Coleção de Arte Contemporânea do Estado. Photo by António Jorge Silva.
View of the exhibition "Object, Body, and Space", with the work "O Impostor", by Paula Rego, part of CACE - State Contemporary Art Collection. Photo by António Jorge Silva.