The historic and cultural mission of the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea is to promote research and understanding of the art of our times, stimulating the public and contributing to the social and civil development of the territory in which it operates. The Museum works as a place of comparison and growth in creativity, of knowledge and skills in the field of contemporary art. One of its roles is as an “antenna” for today’s world: it follows the international and radical art movements in a constant dialogue between history and current events. A vital centre for experimentation, through its work it promotes the spread of young Italian and international artists’ work.
The Museum guides this virtuous process by drawing up a coherent cultural and exhibitions programme focused on the one hand on the promotions of its extraordinary collection, and on the other on the organisation of prestigious and broad-ranging temporary exhibitions. With this in mind, the heritage of the collections and exhibitions programme are the expression of its identity. An identity formed of encounters and openness requiring the constant re-inventing of oneself, in line with the rapid and profound developments that have become the characteristic feature of the international art scene.
Ever since its foundation in 1984, the Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea has grown while taking into account the specific nature of the building, designed by Juvarra, in which it is housed, setting up a dialogue between the invited artists and the location, thereby generating works created specifically for the Castello’s Collection.
One of the distinctive features of the Castello di Rivoli is the attention paid to the multiple expressive languages of the contemporary world; the museum collaborates actively with other cultural institutions, hosting or realising common initiatives, ranging from theatrical performances to concerts, film and artist’s video festivals to cycles of meetings. It also promotes symposia and round tables dedicated to other artistic disciplines, including literature and music and associated scientific disciplines, such as restoration and conservation. Conserving and displaying works of art is a central mission but – on its own – insufficient for interpreting the new functions and objectives of a contemporary art museum in the 21st century. The contemporary art museum must represent a place for meeting and comparison outside its own walls too.
With its specialised library, archives and multimedia centre, the Castello di Rivoli also operates as a fundamental centre for research in the territory and, more generally, in Italy, contributing to the dissemination of artistic culture through the production of catalogues of the highest scientific quality and other publications in cooperation with leading Italian and international museums and institutions.
The Museum is supported by Regione Piemonte, Fondazione CRT, Città di Torino, Città di Rivoli.