New Rules and Standards for Art in Public Spaces, Instruction on State Commission’s Operation Signed

The signing of the Instruction on the organization and operation of the State Commission for Art in Public Spaces, which establishes a clear framework of regulations and professional standards for artworks placed in public spaces across the nation, was announced by Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sports Blendi Gonxhja.
The directive, which was signed by the Minister of State for Local Government and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sports, is based on Council of Ministers Decision No. 224, dated April 1, 2026, “On the Approval of the Regulation on the Use of Public Space,” and it attempts to stop haphazard projects and uncontrolled interventions in public areas.
Under the new framework, monuments, memorials, busts, sculptures, murals, and art installations will go through a systematic review and expert evaluation procedure that takes into account architectural, urban planning, artistic, and esthetic factors.
Any public or private organization that wants to display an artwork in a public area must follow the protocol and submit an application to the appropriate municipality. The municipality sends the proposal to the ministry in charge of culture via the Technical Secretariat after a preliminary examination of the application and supporting materials.
After reviewing and assessing the request, the State Commission for Art in Public Spaces sends its conclusion to the municipality so that the process can continue. The request to display the artwork in the public area will be denied if the Commission rejects the idea.
Regardless of the source of funding the state budget, municipalities, private organizations, philanthropists, or public-private partnerships all artworks will be subject to the same requirements.
Minister Gonxhja emphasized that as creative interventions have a direct impact on the perception of cities, the preservation of collective memory, and the formation of a common identity, public space cannot be viewed as a place where such interventions are carried out without criterion.
In order to guaranty the uniform application of the new standards and processes throughout the nation, advice and inter-institutional cooperation will also accompany the execution of the instruction.