The Museum System: Contemporary Art Collections in the Main Italian Museums

3-week course, 1/2 unit



This class aims to explore Italy’s leading contemporary art collections, tracing their history and development over time. Beginning with the founding of the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome, it addresses the delayed establishment of modern and contemporary art museums across local and regional contexts. Through selected case studies, participants will examine key contemporary art holdings in major Italian institutions, such as the Castello di Rivoli (Turin), Museo Madre (Naples), Mart (Rovereto), MAXXI (Rome), and MAMbo (Bologna). The class will also investigate how contemporary art collections have been integrated into prestigious historic art museums (Museo and Real Bosco di Capodimonte). Finally, attention will be given to the Italian museum management model, highlighting its principal differences from the U.S. system.