The musealisation of contemporary art in Ukraine is an urgent issue and has been identified as a priority of the country’s cultural policy. In particular, the Culture Development Strategy until 2030 envisages integrating contemporary art into the cultural heritage protection system by developing new approaches and models for its musealisation as part of Ukraine’s future heritage. Key policy priorities include developing a roadmap, designing practical tools and models for the musealisation of contemporary art, and developing a concept for a future network of museums of contemporary art.
The Swiss-Ukrainian UCORD Project coordinates its activities with the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and supports policy development, including policies related to the musealisation of contemporary art.
In this context, the UCORD Project engaged the NGO Museum of Contemporary Art (NGO MCA) to develop a roadmap and an institutional model for the future Museum of Contemporary Art. The NGO MCA team is studying local artistic communities, cultural networks, and the historical and urban contexts of the Podillia region. Based on the findings of this research and an assessment of the existing conditions, a pilot project has been identified as the basis for developing an institutional model for a networked museum of contemporary art — the Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art in Vinnytsia (UMCA Vinnytsia).
The materials collected will form the basis for a curatorial concept that will explore the region’s cultural narratives and demonstrate the potential role of a museum in preserving and interpreting contemporary art. The concept will be tested and refined during an art laboratory and subsequently presented at a final exhibition in Vinnytsia in autumn 2026. The overarching idea is to demonstrate how a museum can serve as a tool for the community — helping it reflect on its history while also engaging with its future.
Ultimately, a practical guide for regions will be developed on how to approach the musealisation of contemporary art — a model that can be adapted and applied in other regions across Ukraine.
With the support of Switzerland and through the UCORD Project’s cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, a practical model for the musealisation of contemporary art is being developed, bringing together national cultural policy, regional development, and local cultural initiatives. The pilot experience in Vinnytsia is intended to provide a basis for scaling up these approaches in other regions of Ukraine and for integrating contemporary art into the country’s cultural heritage system.
The UCORD Project is implemented with the support of Switzerland by NIRAS Sweden AB.
Background:
Musealisation is the process of preserving, restoring and adapting cultural heritage objects for educational, research and visitor purposes, transforming them into museum objects.
The NGO “Museum of Contemporary Art” is a Kyiv-based non-profit organisation established in 2020. Its mission is to establish the Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) as a new type of museum in Ukraine: a networked institution that will contribute to the development of the contemporary art ecosystem, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the strengthening of the capacity of communities and local stakeholders.
Since 2021, the NGO MCA has been developing the foundations for the future UMCA, focusing on institutional development, knowledge and education, engagement with public authorities, and building the capacity to address complexity. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 further shaped the organisation’s strategic priorities, while some of its efforts were redirected towards strengthening cohesion within the artistic community, developing a culture of remembrance, and enhancing resilience in the context of war and recovery.