Milan's Nosedo wastewater treatment plant hosts contemporary art museum MAF

The MAF – Museo Acqua Franca, a contemporary art museum located inside the Nosedo wastewater treatment plant in Milan, Italy, is the only facility of its kind in the world. Founded by Ornella Piluso in 1996 as the cultural association Arte da mangiare mangiare Arte, the museum has been housed in the plant since 2011. It features site-specific installations, open-air works, and archival documents. The plant, described by Piluso as a "cathedral of nature," treats the city's wastewater and is near the Abbey of Chiaravalle. Curator Monica Scardecchia notes that over a thousand artists, mostly outside the commercial art system, have participated since 2011. Permanent works by artists such as Maria Teresa Bolis, Emanuela Favarato, GiCo, and Leonardo Memeo address water, sustainability, and circular economy using recycled or organic materials. The museum also hosts the International Festival of Depurators since 2015. Due to changes at the plant, now managed by MM Spa, the sculpture park may soon be unavailable, but the association hopes to relocate works and continue production.