ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a Polish program supporting contemporary art in the regions of “Znaki Czasu”. Announced by the Ministry of Culture, it resulted in the creation of collections and new museums and art centers to house them. I reconstruct the motives for the creation of this program, describe its origins and place in state cultural policy, and point out the sources of inspiration both within and outside Poland. It was the only program in the contemporary history of the region in which public authorities planned to support the building of a contemporary art collection and encourage the creation of permanent exhibition spaces to house it.
