If you are interested in a picture-perfect historic setting, excellent eateries and an especially rich culinary tradition, pretty boutiques and streets, and art and culture, then the incredibly lovely city of Bologna makes for an ideal holiday destination. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna and are planning trips to Bologna to experience the history and tradition then be sure to also keep an eye for the contemporary gems on offer in the city as well. For while the streets still reflect Medieval roots and the museums are generally filled with great works of art from times gone by, there are some incredible places to see the most cutting-edge and engaging works of art that deal with the most important issues of our times. One such place to see contemporary art in Bologna is Fondazione MAST, an international cultural and philanthropic institution that brings exhibitions focusing on art, technology and innovation to the city.
The MAST (or Manifattura di Arti, Sperimentazione e Tecnologia) Foundation was established in 2013 to encourage creativity and entrepreneurship among younger generations and to work in collaboration with other institutions in order to support economic and social growth in Bologna. In addition to a diverse and rich cultural program of events including art exhibition, conferences, presentations, film screenings, musical events, and educational workshops for children and teenagers that are open to the general public, there are also a variety of corporate welfare services, including a corporate restaurant, nursery school and wellness centre that are integral to the foundation’s mission statement of making an open place in which every citizen can access learning and the arts. This is not some elitist cultural institution but, rather, a space for the growth and well-being of all people.
The MAST (or Manifattura di Arti, Sperimentazione e Tecnologia) Foundation was established in 2013 to encourage creativity and entrepreneurship among younger generations and to work in collaboration with other institutions in order to support economic and social growth in Bologna. In addition to a diverse and rich cultural program of events including art exhibition, conferences, presentations, film screenings, musical events, and educational workshops for children and teenagers that are open to the general public, there are also a variety of corporate welfare services, including a corporate restaurant, nursery school and wellness centre that are integral to the foundation’s mission statement of making an open place in which every citizen can access learning and the arts. This is not some elitist cultural institution but, rather, a space for the growth and well-being of all people.
As well as being a space for cultural and learning for all, the actual physical space of MAST is quite the architectural gem. Built as a mixed-use complex and a private initiative that is open to the community, the MAST campus is the result of a restricted design competition held in 2006 that was ultimately won by the architectural firm studio
Labics, which is headed by Maria Claudia Clemente and Francesco Isidori. It contains staff spaces such as the creche, canteen, academy, staff club, and wellness centre in addition to the public spaces such as a training centre, auditorium, and exhibitions spaces. There are three floors above ground and three underground levels for parking, with ramps leading up from landscaped grounds by Paolo Pejrone to a façade entirely encased in a double layer of glass, a transparent curtain wall and a glazed layer that is screen-printed with a pixelated photographic design. At night, all of this transforms it into a bright, see-through box. To the right of the main entrance is the iconic and monumental red sculpture of, “Old Grey Beam,” by Mark di Suvero. Other permanent works on the grounds include Anish Kapoor site-specific sculpture, “Reach,” and, “AMOR” by Richard Indiana. Inside the building you will also find, “Jeremy walking in stripy jumper 2,” by Julian Opie, “Collective Movement Sphere,” by Olafur Eliasson in the atrium, “Untitled (Coffee Table),” by Donald Judd and “Shine,” by Anish Kapoor in the foyer and, “Sphere,” by Arnaldo Pomodoro in the Academy.
Checking out MAST’s website is the best way to keep abreast of events and exhibitions that are currently taking place or coming up in the future and we would recommend consulting it before you plan a visit. As of February 2020, the current exhibition on display is, “UNIFORM: INTO THE WORK / OUT OF THE WORK,” a photographic exhibition of more than 600 works by various international photographers depicting different kinds of uniforms and clothing that have been and continue to be worn by workers in different historical, social and professional contexts. If you an art lover who has found a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna and plan on spending time in this part of Italy between now and the 3rd of May 2020, then be sure to check it out!
Labics, which is headed by Maria Claudia Clemente and Francesco Isidori. It contains staff spaces such as the creche, canteen, academy, staff club, and wellness centre in addition to the public spaces such as a training centre, auditorium, and exhibitions spaces. There are three floors above ground and three underground levels for parking, with ramps leading up from landscaped grounds by Paolo Pejrone to a façade entirely encased in a double layer of glass, a transparent curtain wall and a glazed layer that is screen-printed with a pixelated photographic design. At night, all of this transforms it into a bright, see-through box. To the right of the main entrance is the iconic and monumental red sculpture of, “Old Grey Beam,” by Mark di Suvero. Other permanent works on the grounds include Anish Kapoor site-specific sculpture, “Reach,” and, “AMOR” by Richard Indiana. Inside the building you will also find, “Jeremy walking in stripy jumper 2,” by Julian Opie, “Collective Movement Sphere,” by Olafur Eliasson in the atrium, “Untitled (Coffee Table),” by Donald Judd and “Shine,” by Anish Kapoor in the foyer and, “Sphere,” by Arnaldo Pomodoro in the Academy.
Checking out MAST’s website is the best way to keep abreast of events and exhibitions that are currently taking place or coming up in the future and we would recommend consulting it before you plan a visit. As of February 2020, the current exhibition on display is, “UNIFORM: INTO THE WORK / OUT OF THE WORK,” a photographic exhibition of more than 600 works by various international photographers depicting different kinds of uniforms and clothing that have been and continue to be worn by workers in different historical, social and professional contexts. If you an art lover who has found a vacation rental in Emilia Romagna and plan on spending time in this part of Italy between now and the 3rd of May 2020, then be sure to check it out!