Monthly Archive for June, 2010

From Matt Tyrnauer at VF Daily…

When Romans criticize their incomparably beautiful city, they often mutter, terzo mondo—third world—and shake their heads. The sharp contrasts of Italy’s capital are part of its wonder and joy. The primness of the seat of the Catholic Church, where timid nuns scurry about in groups of two and three, stands in stark contrast to the overt sensuality—in mood and dress—of the general populace. The city is packed with more art treasures than any other in the Western world, yet, at least by European standards, Rome is an extreme backwater in terms of anything having to do with pre-19th-century art. Last week there was a sense of renewal and redemption in the air here as a new much-awaited museum devoted to contemporary art finally opened its doors. The mammoth structure, called MAXXI—short for Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI—is designed by Zaha Hadid, and is located in Flamino, a residential and former light-industrial area near the Tiber. MAXXI’s opening week was greeted with delight by both local sophisticates and average Romans. Romans have been praying for something to reinvigorate contemporary culture in this ancient place, which has been in an innovative art drought since the golden ago of Cinecitta expired many decades ago. To make matters more frustrating, MAXXI’s arrival has been long-delayed and full of dramatic twists and turns. (It was supposed to open in 2005.) More…