Italian Council – 14th edition

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>> Project Italian Council

With an investment of € 2,700,000, the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture launches the fourteenth edition of the Italian Council, the program to support, promote and valorize Italian contemporary creativity in the visual arts throughout the world.

Funding is available for: commissioning projects and the acquisition of a new artwork with related international promotion; the international promotion of artists, curators, and critics; the development of Italian talent abroad.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• Areas 1 and 2
  Public and private non-profit entities, both Italian and foreign (such as museums, university institutes, foundations, cultural associations, formally constituted committees). The requested contribution cannot exceed 80% of the total project cost, with a maximum cap varying according to the project type. The projects must take place between July 1, 2025, and August 31, 2027.

• Area 3
  Artists, critics, curators, and other contemporary art professionals, holding Italian citizenship or tax residence in Italy, who meet the eligibility criteria of the Call. The amount requested for the research grant cannot exceed €15,000. The projects must take place between July 1, 2025, and October 31, 2026.

THREE AREAS OF INTERVENTION

1) INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONING OF WORKS OF ART

The proposal should concern the production of a new work of art, including during residencies or exhibitions, by a living artist of Italian nationality or tax residence in Italy, with related international promotion. The work of art will then be added to the collections of Italian national, regional, provincial and municipal museums. Each project must include at least one phase of international promotion, preferably through an exhibition in a public or non-profit private institution dedicated to contemporary art. The main objective is to create or strengthen international networks to promote and support the research, practice and production of Italian artists of all generations.

2. INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION OF ITALIAN ARTISTS, CURATORS AND CRITICS

The proposal may include:

• Solo exhibition outside Italy
  The aim is to give an artist who has or has had Italian citizenship or who is tax resident in Italy the opportunity to promote their work internationally. In this regard, Italian Council supports exhibition projects in prestigious international venues outside Italy, recognized in the field of contemporary art.
• Participation in international events
  Italian Council supports the participation of a living artist with Italian citizenship or tax residency in Italy in major international events outside Italy, such as biennials, triennials, festivals, or official collateral events, which increasingly serve as platforms for international visibility.
• Curator of periodic international event or exhibition
  The call supports curators or critics with Italian citizenship, or tax residency in Italy, who are invited to curate periodic international event or exhibition outside Italy.
• International publishing projects
  Italian Council promotes the international visibility of Italian art of the last seventy years through contributions to publishing products. Publishing projects are an opportunity to present to the world the artists, protagonists and significant stories of contemporary Italian art. These projects must be aimed primarily at international audiences and must ensure proper international promotion and distribution, preferably involving international publishers, specialized libraries and the organization of presentation events abroad.
• Promotional activities for international acquisitions
  Italian Council supports promotional activities related to the acquisition of works by Italian artists by foreign museums and institutions, including exhibitions, performances, publications, conferences, study days, meetings, educational activities, and workshops.

3) TALENT DEVELOPMENT

One of the main actions of Italian Council is to support the international development of Italian talent through research grants. In particular, the research project may involve one or more stays outside Italy at accredited institutions outside of Italy. The projects must be aimed at developing the candidate's professional career and artistic or curatorial practice in an international context, and at establishing or expanding international contacts and relationships that are useful for the consolidation of their career. The projects must include at least one opportunity to present the research outside of Italy at accredited public or non-profit private organizations.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE 

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the Tender Portalof the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity (the opening of which will be announced on this webpage starting from 10 March 2025) by 3:00 PM (CEST) on April 10, 2025.

For information and/or clarification:
Secretariat Italian Council – italiancouncil@cultura.gov.it

CALENDAR DEADLINES

• Opening of the application for submission via the Tender Portal: no earlier than 10 March 2025
• Deadline for clarification requests via email (FAQ): by April 3, 2025
• Submission deadline for applications via the Tender Portal: by 3:00 PM (CEST) on April 10, 2025
• Start of winning projects: no earlier than July 1, 2025
• Completion of winning projects in Area 3: by October 31, 2026
• Completion of winning projects in Areas 1 and 2: by August 31, 2027

Italian Council – Edizione 14 – Decreto Direttoriale n. 11 del 17.02.2025
Italian Council – Edizione 14 – Bando IT
Italian Council – 14th Edition – Public call EN
Italian Council – ZIP Modelli (IT) / Forms (EN)
Italian Council – Regolamento

Italian Council is a program closely tied to the international promotion of Italian visual art. If you are a museum or public collection looking to expand your holdings through acquisitions and the production of new works of art without international promotion, please refer to the PAC – Piano per l’arte contemporanea. If you are involved in photography and wish to receive support for new productions, residencies, festivals, exhibitions, and international projects, the right program for you is Strategia Fotografia.