Directors of major international museums and architects will talk at the MNAC about the expansion projects they have led 

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is launching a series of talks in Barcelona featuring some of the most influential figures on the international museum and architectural scene to reflect on the main future challenges and new opportunities for museums in the 21st century, coinciding with a key stage of transformation that the Museum will experience in the upcoming years with its expansion.

“Thinking about the museum, imagining futures” starts on Saturday 24 October with an event at Barcelona’s Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) that will bring together Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland; Francesca Cappelletti, director of the Galleria Borghese in Rome; Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo; and Marc-Olivier Wahler, director of the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Gèneve, together with the director of the MNAC, Pepe Serra. The architects Elizabeth Diller, Shohei Shigematsu, Stephan Schütz and Kulapat Yantrasast will take part in the first afternoon session, along with cultural strategy advisor András Szántó, who will lead the discussion.

The discussion cycle that is just now beginning and will continue throughout 2027 forms part of the public agenda entitled MNAC in transformation, a space for reflection and debate designed to share and shed light on the expansion process at the Museu Nacional.

The professionals who will take part in the numerous events, all of whom are connected to significant cultural and architectural projects and have direct experience in transformation processes comparable to what the National Museum is currently taking on, will reflect on the role of museums in the face of the social, cultural, technological, economic and environmental transformations that define our century.

The sessions will focus on a series of issues such as new museum models; the role of national museums in a globalised world; architecture as a driver of institutional transformation; governance and accountability; innovation in cultural management; new technologies; emerging audiences; sustainability; and the contribution of culture to contemporary urban and social challenges, each of which will be addressed from a critical perspective.

This cycle combines domestic and international perspectives with a clear public and local commitment. The purpose is to help people to understand why the Museu Nacional is being transformed, what impact this process will have and what opportunities it will open up, while seeking to generate knowledge, trust and engagement around a strategic project for Barcelona and for Catalonia as a whole.

The second session of this cycle will take place on 19 November featuring Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

“Thinking about the museum, imagining futures” will continue throughout 2027 with more voices and perspectives from the world of museums, architecture, artistic creation, education, and technology, as well as the local community and thought leaders.

Public Agenda MNAC in transformation

MNAC in transformation is the public agenda accompanying the expansion process at the Museu Nacional. This agenda is bringing together professionals from the sector, artists and creators, the educational community and diverse audiences seeking to actively engage society as a whole in this process. The programme will take shape throughout Catalonia through various events and formats, both in person and digital, in collaboration with community agents and networks, and will be complemented by specialised publications.

Saturday, 24 October 2026

10.30 am Introduction and welcome by Pepe Serra, Director of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

Starting at 11.00 am, with presentations by:

• Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo
• Caroline Campbell, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland
• Marc-Olivier Wahler, Director of the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève
• Francesca Cappelletti, Director of the Galleria Borghese in Rome

1.30 pm Q&A session with all speakers, moderated by Pepe Serra

2.00 pm – 3.30 pm Lunch break

• 4.00 pm Introduction by András Szántó, cultural strategy adviser
• 4.15 pm In conversation: Elizabeth Diller, architect and co-founder of the practice Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Stephan Schütz, Architect and Executive Partner at gmp Architeckten at gmp Architekten
• 5.30 pm In conversation: Shohei Shigematsu, architect and partner at OMA, and Kulapat Yantrasast, architect, founder and Creative Director of WHY architecture

6.45 pm Q&A session with all speakers, moderated by András Szántó

Thursday, 19 November 2026

11.00 Civic and Global: The V&A as a Cosmopolitan Museum, a lecture by Sir Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

Followed by a conversation with Pepe Serra, Director of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

→ Thinking about the museum, imagining futures will continue throughout 2027 with new voices and perspectives from the worlds of museums, architecture, the arts and intellectual discourse.