Fondazione Cariplo Acquires Ex Spazio Oberdan for MEET Digital Culture Center in Milan

Fondazione Cariplo has acquired the historic Ex Spazio Oberdan in Milan for €8.5 million from the Città Metropolitana. The multifunctional venue, designed by Gae Aulenti and active since 1998, features a 700-square-meter exhibition area and a 200-seat auditorium. The acquisition aims to transform the space into the permanent home of MEET, the International Center for Digital Culture, announced in February 2018. MEET will expand the activities of Meet the Media Guru, a platform founded by art historian Maria Grazia Mattei in 2005 to explore the social and cultural implications of digital innovation. After 13 years of nomadic operations, MEET will now have a fixed base in central Milan. The center will focus on reducing Italy's digital divide, emphasizing cultural understanding of innovation. Renovation plans are entrusted to CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, known for creative use of new technologies. MEET's activities will span four areas: a content zone for creative experimentation, a research and innovation zone showcasing international research, an education zone with courses and workshops, and a showcase zone for exhibitions and conferences inherited from Meet the Media Guru. The space will continue to host the Fondazione Cineteca Italiana, with coordinated initiatives between the two entities.