MAXXI

Description

Essentials about the MAXXI in brief

Rome is, of course, first and foremost a city of historical sights. However, friends of modernity now also get their money’s worth in the Italian capital, because since 1998 the city has the MAXXI – Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo (“National Museum of the Arts of the XXI Century”).

The history of the MAXXI

Until then, Rome was one of the few European capitals without its own museum for modern art. The Italian Ministry of Culture wanted to change that. Star architect Zaha Hadid emerged as the winner of the competition. She built an impressive museum building on a former barracks site in the Flaminio district.

The building of the MAXXI

The structure has an L-shaped base and consists of several long exposed concrete building sections that seem to flow into, over and under each other. Inside, the building is dominated by spacious galleries, slopes, ramps and curves; artificial light and natural light from large glass fronts illuminate the galleries, halls and cabinets. The individual floors are connected by free-floating black staircases. The structure has an area of 29,000 square meters.

The exhibitions at the MAXXI

The museum sees itself as a creative place and laboratory for contemporary art. In addition to MAXXI Art, which is devoted entirely to art, it also houses MAXXI Architettura, which focuses on architecture. It is the first architecture museum in Italy. In addition to exhibitions, the program includes workshops, conferences, lectures and performances. The museum also offers a wide-ranging educational program. The museum’s collection includes contemporary artworks as well as architectural photographs, architectural designs, and an architectural history archive.