About
Museo Spazio Pubblico / Public Space Museum is a transdisciplinary, inclusive and plural practice that experiments methodologies at the intersection of art, architecture and technology with the aim to investigate the complexity of public space culture. It hosts research and training activities, artistic initiatives, workshops, public dialogues and residency programs for artists and researchers, in partnership with Universities, civil society organisations, creative industries, and public and private institutions. A particular focus is devoted to the development of impact-driven projects for young generations of future civic leaders, addressing the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
“A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”
26th ICOM General Conference, Prague, 24 August 2022
“Museums have become key public spaces that, beyond hosting exhibitions, promote debates and dynamic activities for wide variety of publics.”
Judy Wajcman, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE)
Museo Spazio Pubblico is an Italian project founded and curated by Dr Luisa Bravo, jointly managed by Genius Saeculi, a company operating in the field of Digital Humanities, and City Space Architecture, a non-profit organisation that promotes public space culture. These two institutions are cooperating in other public space initiatives, such as the academic, diamond open access journal The Journal of Public Space, the web-magazine Mastering Public Space, and the Public Space Academy, the first free, interdisciplinary educational programme on public space.
The Museum’s main room features a site-specific artwork by renowned contemporary Italian artist Flavio Favelli. His ceiling fresco, Raffaello 500, depicts on a monumental scale (3.62 × 9.25 meters) the 500,000 Italian lira banknote bearing the portrait of Raffaello Sanzio, celebrated by critics as Italy’s most spiritual artist. This artwork, named Raffaello 500, lends a distinctive and permanent identity to the Museum, enriching the spatial experience through imagination and poetic allure.
Photography: Marco Pintacorona.
Museo Spazio Pubblico is inviting scholars, curators, artists, public space and art enthusiasts to become a FRIEND of the Public Space Museum by donating a small annual fee. Donations are collected by City Space Architecture.
We would like to establish a community around the Museum and our activities in Bologna, with the intention of organising short residency programs and special events ONLY for our friends and supporters.
A project of urban regeneration
From a supermaket to a Museum
Museo Spazio Pubblico was designed during the COVID-19 pandemic
after the renovation of an old supermarket in the Porto-Saragozza suburban neighborhood in the city of Bologna.
From left to right: supermarket (2008), vacant space (2015), office (2017), museum (2020)
Events
All our events are open to the public and free of charge.
Book a visit by sending an email to info@museospaziopubblico.it
The space we have left in the world
International parklet symposium
Past Present and Future of Public Space
Marcello Tedesco / The garden of crystallised ideas
This must be the place
Suburban Spark
European Prize for Urban Public Space
Fiona Hillary / RMIT University
Learning from Bologna: The role of Public Space for Quality of Life, Sense of Place, and Wellbeing
Imagining Public Space with/for Her
Johannes Riegler / DUT
Yari Miele / INCONOSCIBILE
Urban Visions. Beyond the Ideal City
Neighbourhood Biodiversity Garden
Marco Piantoni / SLUM
Davisi Boontharm / Urban Albums
Nina Backman / Silence Meal
Michele Liparesi / Oltre il Momumento
Martijn de Waal / Civic Interaction Design
Rhizoma Lab / Back to the Future of Public Space: Postcards from 2020
[Retrophuture] Fabrizio Passarella / ABSCHIEDSELEGIEN
Propositions for Public Space
On Change / Change On
Vincenzo D’Argenio / Deflagrazione Artist’s Cut
Marco Bucchieri / Da dove stai chiamando?
First-ever parklet in Bologna
