Museo Madre

The Madre is the first museum of contemporary art in the historic centre of Naples.
The Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza has transformed the old Palazzo Donnaregina into a functional, modern space for contemporary art.
In the hidden heart of Naples, where the popular soul of the city beats, just a few steps from the Cathedral and the Treasure of San Gennaro, the presence of the Madre Museum is also an opportunity to redefine the tourist vocation of a district rich in social values to be recovered and cultural heritage to be rediscovered.

History

In March 2003, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and the Unified Conference of the Regions and Local Authorities signed the Pact for Contemporary Art, with the aim of promoting the growth of the public heritage and discussing the identification of a network of centres of excellence for the promotion of contemporary art. In accordance with this agreement, in 2005 the Campania Region purchased Palazzo Donnaregina with funds from the European Community, with the intention of creating the first regional museum in Campania capable of competing with museum institutions of international standing. On 10 June 2005, the Madre inaugurated its spaces with the inauguration of the site specific installations in the rooms on the first floor. This was followed in December 2005 by the inauguration of the historical collection on the second floor. Finally, in April 2006, with the major anthological exhibition dedicated to Jannis Kounellis, the rooms on the third floor dedicated to temporary exhibitions were opened to the public.

The collection

The collection includes works by the most important contemporary artists, both Italian and international: Jeff Koons, Anish Kapoor, Mimmo Paladino, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg.