Photo: LapoLuchini at it.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Museum, 1987
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto
Art museum in Trento and Rovereto, Italy
Rovereto (TN), Trentino-South Tyrol
At a glance
- Type
- Museum
- Period
- Modern era, 1987
- Architect
- Mario Botta
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 45°53′38″ N, 11°02′41″ E
- Address
- Corso Bettini, 43, 38068 Rovereto
History and description
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (Italian: Museo d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto), officially abbreviated as MART is a museum centre in the Italian province of Trento. The main site is in Rovereto, and contains mostly modern and contemporary artworks, including works from renowned Giorgio Morandi, Giorgio de Chirico, Antonio Rotta, Felice Casorati, Carlo Carrà, and Fortunato Depero. Fortunato Depero's house in Rovereto (known as Casa d'Arte Futurista Depero) is also part of the Museum.
The permanent collection contains more than 15,000 artworks, including paintings, drawings, engravings, and sculptures.
History
The MART originated in 1987 as an autonomous entity within the autonomous Trentino province. It was installed in the Palazzo delle Albere in Trento. The idea of expanding the museum to combine both the legacy of the great futurist Fortunato Depero and the disparate inheritance held by the Trento Regional Arts Museum ("Museo Provinciale d'Arte di Trento") dates back to 1991, and was the project, in the first instance, of Gabriella Belli.
On 15 December 2002 the MART finally opened to the general public, with a new headquarters at Rovereto, a small town a short distance to the south of Trento.
Design and construction
Design of the new building was entrusted to the Ticinese architect Mario Botta, who worked on its development with the Rovereto structural engineer Giulio Andreolli. A 29,000 square metre site was available, but between the site and the road (Via Bettini) allowance had to be made for two substantial eighteenth century town houses (palazzi). Fortunately there is a gap between the two which provides sufficient space for an entrance.
Botta's solution to the challenges of the site draws inspiration from classical forms (notably that of the Pantheon), but also incorporates technically adventurous solutions. Invoking the mantra, "Space for art, not space despite art", the design involves a "pantheon without a facade", involving three storeys of museum space arranged around a large round "agora", covered over with "glass" dome/cupola with a 40-meter diameter. The structure of the cupola makes extensive use of steel and "plexiglass", and includes a "missing slice" made possible by complex engineering solutions. in the central area beneath the cupola there is a fountain. The wall facings make use of the yellow stone from Vicenza, which was the stone favoured by Andrea Palladio, although the innovative way in which the facing slabs have been attached allows for each to be individually replaced without major structural upheavals, in a way owes little to the sixteenth century architectural maestro. The "agora" can accommodate up to 1,200 visitors.
Exhibitions
Words and Stars (2 April – 2 July 2017) presented Nobel Prize winning author Pamuk and renowned contemporary artist Toderi's collaborative project exploring "the inclination of man to explore space and innate vocation to question the stars," which took "shape in a trilogy divided into a monologue, dialogue and conversation on the stars: three large installations immersive multi-screen consisting of eight video projections, which combine images and text. The vocation cosmological inherent to the project thus finds expression in a unique visual and literary body." The show was curated by Gianfranco Maraniello.
Recent exhibitions have included An Eternal Beauty. The Classical Canon in Early 20th Century Italian Art (2 July – 5 November 2017), Francesco Lo Savio (5 November 2017 – 18 March 2018), Magic Realism. Enchantment in Italian Painting in the 1920s and 1930s (3 December 2017 – 2 April 2018), Gianfranco Baruchello (18 May – 16 September 2018), and Richard Artschwager (12 October 2019 – 2 February 2020).
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto».
Timeline
- 1987Founded and opened
People
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
RoveretoTrain, nearest
900 m as the crow flies
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and RoveretoCorso Bettini, 43, 38068 Rovereto
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore museums in Trentino-South Tyrol
Frequently asked questions
Where is Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto?
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto is in Rovereto, in the province of Trento (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy. Address: Corso Bettini, 43, 38068 Rovereto. GPS coordinates: 45.89383, 11.04474.
What are the opening hours of Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto?
According to OpenStreetMap the opening hours are: Tu-Su 10:00-18:00; Fr 10:00-21:00. Always check the official website before your visit.
Is Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto wheelchair accessible?
According to OpenStreetMap data, the site is wheelchair accessible.
How old is Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto?
Wikidata dates it to 1987.
What else is there to see near Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto?
Nearby you’ll find: Archivio del '900 (0 m away), Palazzo Alberti Poja (100 m away), Palazzo Annona (100 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- MART - ingresso — LapoLuchini at it.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rovereto - Museo d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto - 2024-09-03 13-44-51 001 — Fabior04, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rovereto - Museo d'arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto - 2024-09-03 13-46-11 001 — Fabior04, CC BY-SA 4.0
- " 11 - ITALY - MART Museum Art Contemporary Design Rovereto Trento — Pava, CC BY-SA 3.0 it
- Ingresso del MART di Rovereto — Silvana Gallio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MART di Rovereto - Area esterna — Silvana Gallio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MART di Rovereto - Attimo di pausa — Silvana Gallio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mart di Rovereto e bicicletta 1 — Lungoleno, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MART 18210 — Mart Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences