MAC/CCB — Museum of Contemporary Art / Centro Cultural de Belém
Lisbon’s contemporary-art anchor in Belém. MAC/CCB — Museum of Contemporary Art / Centro Cultural de Belém is where modern and contemporary art, architecture and the cultural energy of Belém meet in one major institution.
MAC/CCB is located inside the Centro Cultural de Belém, one of Lisbon’s key cultural complexes, close to the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, MAAT and the riverfront. The museum is dedicated to modern and contemporary art, with a strong dialogue between visual arts, architecture and performing arts.
The museum opened in its current form in 2023 and brings together important collections and deposits, including the State Contemporary Art Collection, the Teixeira de Freitas Collection, the Ellipse Collection and the Berardo Collection.
Image credit
© MAC/CCB — Museo de Arte Contemporáneo / Centro Cultural de Belém
What you’ll see here
At MAC/CCB, expect a museum visit built around collection displays and temporary exhibitions. It is more focused on contemporary and modern art than MAAT, and more public/institutional than a private collection museum.
You may encounter:
- Portuguese and international modern and contemporary art
- Painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation
- Architecture-focused exhibitions through the Architecture Centre / Garagem Sul
- Works from major public and private collections
- Temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists
- A strong Belém cultural route, easy to combine with MAAT or the Jerónimos area
Worth the trip
Yes — especially if you want Lisbon’s contemporary-art scene beyond the postcard image of the city.
What makes MAC/CCB special is its position: it sits between museum, cultural centre and architectural platform. It gives Belém a serious contemporary-art weight, balancing the area’s historic monuments with artworks that speak about the present.
For Artlovers, MAC/CCB is worth including because it helps complete the Lisbon art map: Gulbenkian for refined collecting, MAAT for architecture and technology, and MAC/CCB for modern and contemporary art in a major institutional setting.
ArtLovers Tip
Visit MAC/CCB and MAAT on the same Belém day, but don’t confuse them. MAC/CCB is stronger for modern/contemporary collections and exhibitions; MAAT is stronger for riverfront architecture, technology, energy and immersive/interdisciplinary formats.
This is a medium-density museum. Allow around 90 minutes to 2 hours for the main exhibitions, or longer if you include architecture exhibitions and the wider CCB complex.
It pairs beautifully with MAAT, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Belém riverfront, or a slower cultural afternoon in western Lisbon.
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