Rome's Olympic Village re-inaugurated 60 years later with contemporary art

On December 20, 2019, the Olympic Village in Rome celebrated its 60th anniversary with a collective re-inauguration as part of the Contemporaneamente Roma 2019 municipal events. The event featured an installation by Fabrizio Cicero titled 'Ordine nuovo' and a performance by Iginio De Luca titled 'Iailat', curated by VILLAM. The Olympic Village was originally built for the 1960 Rome Olympics, housing 8,000 people including athletes, coaches, and organizers. Designed by architects including Luigi Moretti, the complex features modernist elements such as pilotis, ribbon windows, and yellow brick curtain walls, with 800 tall trees planted. The re-inauguration aimed to transform the village into a 'global village' through contemporary art. De Luca's 'Iailat' is a distorted version of the Italian national anthem, performed by 10 elements at Piazza Jan Palach. Cicero's 'Ordine nuovo' consists of light structures exploring construction and deconstruction, on view until December 30, 2019. The project also includes video interviews with residents, to be presented at Albumarte in Rome and later nationally and internationally in 2020. The event was promoted by Roma Capitale Assessorato alla Crescita culturale, in collaboration with SIAE, with support from Zètema Progetto Cultura, and under the patronage of CONI, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Codacons, Roma Tre University, and Scuola Popolare di Musica di Testaccio.