The Fondazione Donnaregina per le Arti Contemporanee was officially constituted on 22 November 2004 by the Campania Region with the aim of: “founding, promoting and administering museums, art and cultural centers in the Campania Region, acquiring temporarily or permanently, by means of contracts and/or agreements with public or private authorities, artists and collectors, contemporary artworks to be exhibited permanently or temporarily in its museums or in themed exhibitions; to foster cultural activities through the organization of conferences, internships and seminars on art, literature, cinema, graphic design, product design, photography, architecture and all other forms of artistic expression, modern and contemporary.”

The foundation is chaired by Oberdan Forlenza, and directed by Eduardo Cicelyn, cultural journalist with Il Mattino and author of the annual art survey Arte in Piazza del Plebiscito. It boasts eminent names on its scholarly board: Achille Bonito Oliva, art critic and curator of the City of Naples’ project La metropolitana dell’arte; Enrico Santangelo; Rudi H. Fuchs, director of the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea del Castello di Rivoli in Turin (1987-93) and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (1993-2003); Vincente Todolí, director of the Museu Serralves of Porto (1999-2003) and, since 2003, of the Tate Modern in London.
In 2005, Mario Codognato was appointed head of the exhibition program conducted by the Foundation for the promotion of its cultural activities. Mario Codognato is an art critic with broad international experience and was the curator, together with Edudaro Cicelyn, of the contemporary art exhibitions at the Museo Archeologico in Naples from 2002 to 2004.