Can Contemporary Art Find a Permanent Home in Museums of Ancient Art?

The article explores whether contemporary art can have a permanent place in museums of ancient art, following the continuity theorized by Giulio Carlo Argan. While Italy lacks examples, Parisian museums have adopted various strategies. At Petit Palais, international artists like Ugo Rondinone (2022) and Loris Greaud (2024, with 'The Cortical Nights') create site-specific installations within permanent collections. Musée d'Orsay's 'Orsay Contemporain' invited Peter Doig to present recent works alongside a selection from the museum's collection in 'Peter Doig. Reflets du siècle' (rooms 57 and 60), part of the 'Correspondances' cycle. The Orangerie's 'Contrepoints' series commissions new works inspired by masterpieces, e.g., Philippe Cognée and Hermann Nitsch responding to Monet's Water Lilies; in 2024, Wolfgang Laib will participate. The Musée Picasso's 'Carte Blanche' invites contemporary artists to engage with Picasso's world; in 2023, Sophie Calle transformed three floors with 'A toi de faire, ma mignonne', exploring seeing, imagining, death, and memory. The article suggests Italian museums like Uffizi, Capodimonte, Brera, or Musei Capitolini could adopt similar practices, collaborating with contemporary art museums (MAXXI, Madre, Pecci) to support emerging Italian artists and engage new audiences.