Cultural planning for a new contemporary art hub

Palazzo Emilei Forti is a prestigious building situated in Verona’s historic centre, which housed the Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in the twentieth century. From archaeological excavations to site-specific works by artists such as Sol LeWitt, the building is also renowned for its rich cultural heritage, making it a testament to the history of Verona and beyond.

Closed since 2018, the building holds symbolic significance for the city and would be the ideal venue for a new cultural centre for contemporary art. With this goal in mind, Fondazione Cariverona has launched a comprehensive study and assessment programme, entrusting BAM! with the development of a series of preparatory measures ahead of the venue’s reopening. The project aims to establish a solid cultural vision shared by the city’s key stakeholders, capable of restoring the building’s central role on Verona’s cultural scene and beyond.

Verona has considerable potential for development in the field of contemporary art. However, this potential requires suitable venues, vision and resources in order to be fully achieved within the city’s cultural scene, which is heavily focused on the ancient past.

Indeed, reopening Palazzo Emilei Forti responds to the need to create an open space that serves as a focal point for residents and tourists, capable of engaging with the local context and drawing on the most advanced international practices. The project stems from a desire to build a cultural hub capable of working in synergy with stakeholders in the sector, the existing collections and the community.

Fondazione Cariverona commissioned BAM! to undertake a project involving an in-depth analysis of the local area and the building, a survey of the city’s collections and a process of national and international benchmarking, while also consulting key stakeholders.

Using this as a starting point, BAM! has drawn up a cultural project that sets out the objectives, strategic directions, functions, content and target audiences of the new contemporary arts hub, with a view to revitalising the city’s cultural offering in partnership with the main local institutions and organisations.

Furthermore, in collaboration with CLES srl, BAM! is assisting the foundation in drafting the financial plan and defining the governance and management model for the future centre, with the aim of ensuring its long-term sustainability, effectiveness and impact, and of supporting the foundation in establishing a new joint-venture legal entity.

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