With its innovative and spectacular forms, the National Museum of 21st Century Arts is located in Rome’s Flaminio district.
The Anglo-Iraqi starchitect Zaha Hadid (1950-2016) defined “her” MAXXI: «A place to immerse yourself in the exchange of ideas, thus implementing the cultural vitality of the city».
The museum, which stands on the area of the former Montello barracks in Via Guido Reni and opened its doors in 2010, is a true masterpiece of fluid architecture, with its smooth surfaces, dynamic volumes and oblique, vital lines.
The interior features a futuristic, fluctuating, airy atmosphere, where the white walls intertwine and the suspended stairs seem to chase each other. It is configured as immersive space, where the visitor is free to create his own path. Like a double herm, MAXXI has twin identities. It houses two different collections, Art and Architecture.
The Art Collection includes more than 300 sculptures and installations by important artists such as Alighiero Boetti, William Kentridge, Mario Merz, while the Architecture Collection contains over 50,000 project drawings, models and more than 25,000 photographs. The permanent installations include those by Anish Kapoor, Sol LeWitt and Giuseppe Penone. In addition, MAXXI regularly hosts exhibitions of unknown works and artists, performances, workshops and conferences.
But this is much more than just a museum: it is a magical place where you can spend a day immersed in art and culture – as Maurizio Nannucci’s neon sign on the exterior facade proclaims: More than meets the eye.
For further information on timetables and guided tours, please visit www.maxxi.art.