UMoCA Reopens with Mario and Marisa Merz Exhibition

The Under Museum Of Contemporary Art (UMoCA) in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany, will reopen on October 22, 2022, with a major exhibition of Mario and Marisa Merz, organized in collaboration with the Fondazione Merz in Turin. Founded in 2001 by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang for the sixth edition of Arte all'Arte, UMoCA was conceived as a cultural center beneath the arches of the historic Ponte di San Francesco, featuring neon initials. The project was curated by Jèrome Sans and Pier Luigi Tazzi. After years of intermittent activity, the reopening was made possible by the Associazione Arte Continua, which won the PAC2020 – Piano per l'Arte Contemporanea tender together with the Comune di Colle Val d'Elsa. The exhibition also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Merz couple's participation in Arte all'Arte, during which they donated a work to the city. In return, the association is donating to the Fondazione Merz an alabaster work created by Mario Merz during that period. Previous artists hosted at UMoCA include Ni-Tsai Chin (2001), Jennifer Wen Ma (2005), and Kiki Smith (2011).