In 1999 and 2000, following the restructuring of the Soros Foundations, all Soros Centers for Contemporary Arts started to become independent and have transformed into non-governmental organisations under the membership of the new association i_CAN (International Contemporary Art Network) based in Amsterdam.

i_CAN's mission is to be an open platform for cross-cultural exchange and collaboration in the field of contemporary art, involving artists, critics, curators and other art professionals and institutions form Central and Eastern Europe.

Our objectives are:

• to foster the exchange of information both within i_CAN members and internationally (by collecting, maintaining and making accessible information on Central and East European contemporary art; collecting, maintaining and distributing information on contemporary international art to i_CAN members and the CEE region)
• to actively participate in the international contemporary art discourse (by increasing i_CAN's membership and extending the network to a wider geography; establishing cooperation with international contemporary arts institutions; initiating international art projects; offering training possibilities for i_CAN members)
• to promote contemporary art from the CEE region (by the internal and international exchange of information; initiating and realizing international art projects and by PR actions)
• to provide professional advocacy for i_CAN members and utilize the joint strength of the network in influencing local and international cultural policy (by co-operations with international contemporary arts institutions; making an inventory and taking care of the arising needs of i_CAN members; approaching policy makers and representing the interests of i_CAN members and contemporary CEE arts)