Museo della Merda: A Visionary Laboratory in Castelbosco

The Museo della Merda, located in Castelbosco, Italy, is not a typical corporate museum or contemporary art project. Founded by entrepreneur Gianantonio Locatelli, it transforms cow manure into valuable resources. The museum features recent installations by Claudio Parmiggiani (Alfabeto, 22 photographs by Luigi Ghirri) and Gianfranco Baruchello (Il grano, 1975). Baruchello's work, tied to his Agricola Cornelia foundation (1973), explores the intersection of art and agriculture. Creative director Luca Cipelletti, architect, designed the museum spaces. The collection includes works by Claudio Costa, Anne and Patrick Poirier, Michael Badura, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and David Tremlett. The museum also showcases design objects made from manure, such as vases and bricks, which won a prize at Salone del Mobile in 2016. A performance by Charlemagne Palestine recently took place. The museum collaborates with universities and research centers, investigating manure use from antiquity to future applications.