The National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA) in Minsk, Belarus, has announced that its venue on Niakrasava Street will cease exhibition activities from June 22, 2026. The institution is set to be liquidated, with its premises and collections transferred to the National Art Museum, while the Niakrasava Street space will be taken over by the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. The closure is linked to the newly appointed chairman of the Union of Artists, Andrei Vasileuski, and reportedly supported by the Culture Ministry.
This closure matters because the NCCA was one of the most prominent contemporary art venues in Belarus, known for supporting experimental art, young artists, and curators. It organized Belarusian national pavilions at three Venice Biennales and hosted major events like the Triennial of Contemporary Art. Its liquidation signals a significant loss for the country's contemporary art scene and raises concerns about political interference in cultural institutions.