The birth of the Pino Pascali Museum dates back to 1998 following an important bequest of works and memorabilia belonging to the artist from the family. In 2010 the Museum transformed into the Pino Pascali Foundation, jointly owned by the Puglia Region and the Municipality of Polignano a Mare, with statute and internal regulations. The current headquarters is a restored former municipal slaughterhouse, overlooking the sea, the seaside house that Pascali so desired.

The Foundation's activity takes its steps from the figure of Pino Pascali, one of the most important exponents of Italian and international art during the Sixties, who passed away at just 33 years old in Rome, a fundamental point of reference for the development of exhibition activity of the museum.

The Foundation is structured to work by containers in order to offer a vision of art that is as eclectic as possible and in line with the main cutting-edge linguistic research of the moment.

In addition to a substantial number of works by Pino Pascali, the Foundation exhibits the works of the most significant Apulian artists and the works of the artists who won the Pino Pascali Prize. The permanent collection and temporary exhibitions provide the public with a cultural offering in line with the most appreciated museum standards in the world, so much so that in 2013 it was awarded the First Prize as the Best Contemporary Art Foundation in Italy.