The Museion (from the greek μουσείον, meaning the temple of the muses) is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Bolzano, in South Tyrol, Italy.

It was founded in 1985.Andreas Hapkemeyer, Projekt für ein Museum moderner Kunst in Bozen, in «Der Schlern», 68, 1994, pp. 99-120. Since 2006 it has been managed by the Museion Foundation, founded by the Autonomous Province Bozen and the Museion Association. On 24 May 2008 the Museion opened to the public its new venue, built by the KSV - Krüger Schuberth Vandreike architects in the center of Bolzano.

Collections The Museion currently holds 4500 works of art, both from international and local artists, which are exhibited according to a theme-based rotation. Acquisitions often are made after temporary exhibitions. The displays of works of art in the collection are curated also by artists. In recent years most acquisitions by the Museion have come from exhibitions on contemporary sculpture, and particularly by artists that conceive sculpture as a way to establish relationships between objects and spaces. During the opening of an exhibition by the American sculptor Carl Andre, the then director of the Museion Letizia Ragaglia has declared: "The sculptures by Carl Andre are not objects meant to be contemplated, but a place to live in, where you can move, have experiences, and establish relationships through physical contact."

Main venue The main building of the Museion is a rectangular prism measuring 54 metres long, 25 metres high and 23 metres wide, with transparent front and rear façades. The building is a physical and symbolic link between the two parts of the city of Bozen.

Other venues Created in 2003, the Piccolo Museion – Cubo Garutti is a work by Alberto Garutti. Located in Via Sassari 17b, it functions as an outlying venue for Museion in the Don Bosco neighbourhood of Bolzano.

Library Specialised in modern and contemporary art, Museion's library holds 25,000 volumes, 50 subscriptions to art journals and 400 DVDs.

Programs, exhibitions and events Since its opening, the Museion has focused its programme on research across diverse forms of artistic expressions, and has tried to develop close relationships with artists. During the years the Museion has produced exhibition on the works of artists such as Sonic Youth, Mike Kelley, Rosemarie Trockel, Carl Andre, Danh Vo, and Martino Gamper.

Exhibitions

Title Opening Closing Venue Curated byPeripheral vision & collective body24 May 200821 September 2008MuseionCorinne DiserensSonic Youth etc.: "SENSATIONAL FIX"11 October 20084 January 2009MuseionRoland Grönenboom and Corinne DiserensMike Kelley – Educational Complex Onwards, 1995–200816 January 200919 April 2009MuseionAnne PontegnieCarl Andre17 September 20118 January 2012MuseionRoland Mönig and Letizia RagagliaRosemarie Trockel: "Flagrant Delight"1 May 201312 January 2014MuseionDirk SnauwaertDanh Vo. Fabulous Muscles18 May 20131 September 2014MuseionLetizia RagagliaKlara Lidén. Invalidenstraße14 September 201312 January 2014MuseionLetizia RagagliaWhen Now is Minimal. The Unknown Side of the Sammlung Goetz23 November 201312 October 2014MuseionKarsten Löckemann, Angelika Nollert, Letizia RagagliaLeander Schwazer. Bikini21 February 201425 May 2014MuseionCeal Floyer1 February 20144 May 2014MuseionLetizia RagagliaTatiana Trouvé. I Tempi Doppi24 May 20147 September 2014MuseionLetizia RagagliaRä di Martino. Authentic News of Invisible Things27 September 201411 January 2015MuseionFrida CarazzatoSoleil politique. The Museum Between Light and Shadow27 September 201411 January 2015MuseionPierre Bal-BlancSolo Show Robbie Williams1 November 20141 March 2015MuseionCarol Bove / Carlo Scarpa1 November 20141 March 2015MuseionHenry Moore InstituteNanni Balestrini. Oltre la poesia15 November 201422 February 2015MuseionAndreas HapkemeyerChiara Fumai. Der Hexenhammer31 January 201526 April 2015MuseionFrida CarazzatoRossella Biscotti. The future can only be for ghosts31 January 201525 May 2015MuseionFrida CarazzatoCollecting for Tomorrow: new works at Museion21 March 201510 January 2016MuseionMartino Gamper. Design is a State of Mind6 June 201513 September 2015MuseionMartino GamperMaurizio Nannucci. Top Hundred18 September 20156 January 2016MuseionAndreas HapkemeyerCerith Wyn Evans3 October 201510 January 2016MuseionLetizia RagagliaMarinella Senatore. Jammin' Drama Project24 November 201513 December 2015MuseionFrancesco Vezzoli. MUSEO MUSEION30 January 20166 November 2016MuseionFrancesco VezzoliKorakrit Arunanodchai2 June 201611 September 2016MuseionJudith Hopf1 October 20168 January 2017MuseionLili Reynaud-Dewar28 January 20175 May 2017MuseionIrma Blank16 November 201723 September 2018MuseionMartin Kippenberger, Maria Lassnig. BODY CHECK3 February 20186 May 2018MuseionDiego Marcon10 April 20186 May 2018MuseionJohn Armleder22 September 20186 January 2019Museion

Criticism Right after the opening of the Museion's new venue, in May 2008, the first exhibition had on display, among others, the work "Zuerst die Füße" by the German artist Martin Kippenberger. That work, conceived as a 'portrait' by the artist in 1990, depicts a crucified frog holding a beer in one hand and an egg in the other. According to the Museion, the sculpture has "nothing to do with religion, and represents instead the inner world of the artist himself following a difficult rehabilitation process from drugs and alcohol abuse." During a visit by the Pope some regional politicians declared that the sculpture should be taken down.

Sandro Bondi, then Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism declared that the sculpture was "also an offense to common sense".

References

External links

KSV - Krüger, Schuberth, Vandreike Corriere della sera-direttrice licenziata