The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit or MOCAD is a non-collecting contemporary art museum located in Detroit's cultural center. The mission of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit is to present art at the forefront of contemporary culture. As a non-collecting institution, MOCAD is responsive to the cultural content of our time, fueling crucial dialogue, collaboration, and public engagement.

MOCAD is housed in a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) building, a converted former auto dealership designed by architect Andrew Zago. The architecture is intentionally raw and unfinished.

MOCAD's exhibition history dates to the opening of its first exhibition Meditations in an Emergency on October 28, 2006. It was curated by Klaus Kertess, and included work by Tabaimo, Kara Walker, Nari Ward, among others. The second exhibition which ran from February–April 2007 was "Shrinking Cities" a largely conceptual exhibition dealing with population loss and shifting urban concentrations all over the world, with Detroit being a main focus of the exhibition. Their third exhibition, which ran until July 2007 was titled "Stuff: The International Collection of Burt Aaron." It was an exhibit of the personal collection of renowned Michigan collector Burt Aaron.

In the years since its doors opened MOCAD has already developed a rich history. MOCAD hosts musical, literary and artistic events throughout the year. Internationally acclaimed artists such as musicians Roy Ayers, Amp Fiddler, Dan Deacon’s Round Robin, Michael Yonkers, Marlon Magas, Pink Reason, and Roscoe Mitchell; writers like John Giorno and Bill Berkson; and performance artists such as Jody Oberfelder, Will Power and Pat Oleszko have all brought their work to Detroit with MOCAD as the vehicle.

More recent events include the screening of films from Prelinger Archives: Lost Landscapes of Detroit and Love Sick, a Valentine's dance party and fundraiser for the museum. With a wide range of special programs and events, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit maintains the interest of an eclectic community.