MAXXI
MAXXI
MAxxi Museum
MUSEO NAZIONALE DELLE ARTI DEL XXI SECOLO
The MAXXI is the first Italian establishment dedicated to contemporary art. It is also the first architecture museum in Italy. In addition to a large number of works of art, there are also small models, sketches and photos to see.
My Rating:
The positives:
You can feel life throughout the building and not just see a “collection of works of art”: Artists work on their projects, children play in the building and young and old meet in the café! In addition, the building knocks you out and the art isn't bad either ;)
The negatives:
Due to the complexity of the building, one can be a bit lost at first, both spatially and in terms of content.
Tip:
Get your Floor map, audio guide/access to the chatbot at the Infopoint -so you can benefit 100% from the museum visit.
Last Modified: 29.02.2024 | Céline & Susi
MAXXI
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Audio guide
There is a classic audio guide (free) in English, but it focuses more on the architecture.
There is also a Chat.Guide (also free). It can be connected to the Facebook Messenger and gives additional information and even interacts with you.
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Roma Pass
The Maxxi is on the list of museums and sights you can visit with the Roma Pass.
The Roma Pass is valid for 48 or 72 hours.
-> Find out more about the Roma Pass
The Roma Pass is also included with the 72-hour Omnia Card.
-> Find out more about the Omnia Card
MAXXI
Photo Gallery
Waht is there
to see?
In Rome, there are not only “old stones” like the Colosseum, but also contemporary art to see. And you can do that in the architectural eye-catcher MAXXI on 29,000 m². It’s hard to believe that MAXXI (Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo) was the first Italian institution dedicated to contemporary art.
Since the museum is not as centrally located as perhaps other museums are, one naturally wonders: is it worth the trip to get there? In addition to the permanent exhibition, which includes a collection of artists such as Francesco Clemente, William Kentridge and Gerhard Richter (to name just a few names), there are constantly new special exhibitions and interesting projects. And this has to be seen, or rather experienced! Because the MAXXI is fully committed to an experience visit!
The MAXXI is also the first architecture museum in all of Italy (MAXXI Architettura). In it, an incredible variety of designs, photos, and models by well-known architects and designers of the 20th and 21st centuries are on display. Among them are names like Carlo Scarpa, Pier Luigi Nervi or Paolo Soleri.
Actually, MAXXI as a building is in itself a pure work of art. The futuristic-looking building, impressive from the outside, is also a feast for the eyes on the inside: dark staircases, wide walkways, large rooms that meet winding corridors, staged lighting effects and staged military barracks that are meant to remind visitors of the former building. However, all this does not seem oppressive, does not distract, but on the contrary, it gives us fantastic perspectives from the most diverse angles.
The entire exhibition site is simply more than “just” a museum. The institution offers space for research, workshops, events or learning initiatives. Thus, in addition to a bookstore, an auditorium, there is also a library and media library. (MAXXI Research, Education and Training and MAXXI Development). Inside, as well as outside, there is a bistro, seating and thus space for communication and interaction.
You will see, the whole campus is full of life and that makes your visit to MAXXI unique. The permanent exhibition of MAXXI, which was unfortunately closed at the time of our visit, is composed of different genres of art. You can see contemporary sculptures and paintings, abstract geometric works and also architectural drawings.
MAxxi
A bit of history
More than 22 years ago, the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid won the international competition to build the new museum from among 273 participants. Her plan seems futuristic, although the conceptual basis is simple: a museum building that makes art livable from both the outside and inside while integrating the old with the new. Construction took place from 1998 to 2010, during which time there were six different changes of government in Italy. Each government had to be persuaded repeatedly to support the building project. The Italian bureaucracy is known for its detours… Think of Asterix and Obelix and the A38 permit… or the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica, which took 120 years and involved 20 popes in the process… 🙂
The costs were three times higher than originally planned. The official sum of the expenses was 150 million EUR. Opened on May 30, 2010, the Center for Architecture and Art enjoyed an attendance of 204,000 people in 2018, according to MAXXI management (Artistic Director Hanru Hou has held the position since 2013). The innovative architectural work of Zaha Hadid is located in the north of Rome, in the Flaminio neighborhood, where military halls previously stood. The architect has integrated parts of these halls into the new building.
The entire building has a size of 29,000 square meters, with an exhibition space of 10,000 square meters, which can be divided into two main areas at MAXXI:
- MAXXI Art Museum (MAXXI Arte) with 4,000 square meters, and
- MAXXI Architecture Museum (MAXXI Architettura) with 1,935 square meters.
The renowned architect Zaha Hadid, who recently passed away, is also known for the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul and various other museum or university buildings (many of them also in Germany or Vienna).
HOW FAR away
IS MAXXI?
From Piazza del Popolo, where you can find the Santa Maria del Popolo and one of the 3 Leonardo Da Vinci museums, it’s a 30-minute walk. Or you can take bus line 2 towards Mancini, which takes 16 minutes. By taxi, it’s approximately a 7-minute ride.
If you’re at the other museum for contemporary art, GNAM, it’s also a 30-minute walk. Using public transportation, MAXXI isn’t as easily accessible, but the taxi ride only takes around 6 minutes.
Official website of MAXXI (EN): www.maxxi.art/en
Text and image rights: Celine Mülich, 2019 – 2024
With the support of Susanne Vukan
