Milan is of course a fantastic destination for those seeking Renaissance art. Having visited and enjoyed the Renaissance paintings at the Pinacoteca di Brera and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana during my visit earlier this year, I had a desire to see something a little more modern, a little more avant-garde. Conveniently situated in the main square across from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade and adjacent to the Duomo then, the Museo del Novecento was just what I was looking for. Museo del Novecento is situated in the Palazzo dell' Arengario, a 1936 Fascist-era building from which dictator Mussolini would address the Milanese crowds. The building is one of two identical structures whose façades are decorated with carvings by the artist Arturo Martini. One of the buildings now houses the Museo del Novecento a museum dedicated to 20th century art with a collection of over 400 exhibits given by private collectors and donations. It is naturally, particularly strong on art by Italian artists and features the work of art movements such as Italian Futurism, Arte Povera, Abstraction, and the works of other well known European artists such as Braque, Kandinsky, Matisse, Mondrian and Picasso. Other sections include spaces dedicated to Giorgio de Chirico, Lucio Fontana and Giorgio Morandi. Visitors to the museum wend there way up a spiral ramp similar in spirit to the one at the Guggenheim in New York, and are confronted at the entrance by Umberto Boccioni's uncompromisingly, powerful, modernist sculpture Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913, dramatically spot-lit in a darkened room. They are then led through a narrow gallery populated by artworks by Picasso and others from the 1900s, and directly opposite works of Italian Futurism. After this visitors encounter works of Surrealism by the likes of Giorgio de Chirico and Carlo Carrà. Upstairs to the next level sees a collection of works by by abstract painter and sculptor Alberto Burri. Next, visitors encounter the ’50s and ’60s period, where the conceptual art of Piero Manzoni and the members of the Azimuth Group, such as Enrico Castellani, are well represented. On the top floor of the museum visitors enter the Fontana Hall a space showcasing the life and works of Lucio Fontana. It is an immersive experience with Fontana's neon "squiggle" artworks on the ceilings as well as slashed paintings on the walls. The windows give you unparalleled views of the magnificent adjacent Duomo (here), and bustling piazza below. Visitors then make their way back downstairs and exit the museum through the thought-provoking gallery of contemporary artworks and inevitable museum shop. I really enjoyed Museo del Novecento's modern collection and thought it complemented the important Renaissance era paintings held in other museums in Milan beautifully.
Palazzo dell’Arengario,
Piazza del Duomo,
Milano
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