Survey maps Italy's private contemporary art foundations

A comprehensive two-year study conducted by Comitato Fondazioni Arte Contemporanea, Associazione Civita, and Intesa Sanpaolo identified 63 private Italian entities engaged in contemporary art, comprising 39 foundations (62%), 19 associations (30%), and 5 corporations (8%). Notably, 44% of foundations and 37% of associations are located in Northwest Italy, predominantly in Lombardy and Piedmont. The majority, 70%, were founded post-2000, with a notable surge between 2008 and 2014. Urban settings house 90% of these organizations, with 37% situated in repurposed industrial spaces and 35% in historic buildings. Permanent collections exist in 40% of the institutions, while 90% host temporary exhibitions. Additionally, 37 provide artist residencies, most engage in educational initiatives, and around half offer open calls. Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and Simonetta Giordani highlighted the cultural importance of these results.