Italy's First National Photography Museum Born from Mufoco Transformation

The Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea (Mufoco) in Cinisello Balsamo, near Milan, has been transformed into the Museo Nazionale di Fotografia (Munaf), Italy's first national museum dedicated to photography. The new foundation is promoted by the Ministry of Culture, the Metropolitan City of Milan, and the Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo. Davide Rondoni, former president of Mufoco, will lead Munaf for a five-year term, renewable once. The board includes Sonia Bedeschi, Angelo Giovanni De Boni, Davide Colombo, and Massimo Pratelli. Founded in 2004, Mufoco housed over 2 million photographs from more than 1,000 Italian and international authors, organized into 40 funds, with a focus on post-WWII works and incursions into late 19th-century and early avant-garde photography. The museum is located in the 17th-century Villa Ghirlanda, renovated in 2024 by Dotdotdot studio. Planned expansion will increase available spaces within the complex, which includes a centuries-old park. Munaf aims to enhance Italy's photographic cultural offerings, network with national and international institutions, preserve and grow its collections, and promote research, new productions, and inter-art dialogue. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli stated the museum's role in protecting historical archives, promoting emerging talents, and spreading photographic culture nationwide. Mayor Giacomo Giovanni Ghilardi called it a decisive turning point for the institution and the city.