10 Oct 2010

AMACI (Associazione dei Musei d'Arte Contemporanea Italiani): Sixth Day of Contemporary Art

On Saturday, 9 October, the 6th Giornata del Contemporaneo – the Day of Contemporary Art – will be held throughout Italy. This major annual event is promoted by the AMACI – Associazione dei Musei d'Arte Contemporanea Italiani (Association of Italian Museums of Contemporary Art) to focus on the art of our times and its public. AMACI museums and over 1000 contemporary art venues will be open to the public free of charge for one day around the country.

Now in its sixth year, the initiative promoted by AMACI has witnessed a steady increase in the number of participants: from 180 venues in 2005 to over 800 in 2009, which in the space of just 24 hours attracted more than 130,000 visitors around the country. This year 1.031 museums, galleries, associations, and public and private art venues will open their doors free of charge to present artists and new ideas through shows, workshops, events and conferences. This multifaceted programme offers the unmissable opportunity to experience the liveliness and riches of contemporary art, and gain insight into the pivotal role it plays in Italy's cultural, social and economic development.
The complete list of events can be downloaded at www.amaci.org.

As done in previous years, AMACI has commissioned an internationally acclaimed Italian artist to develop the key concept for the Day of Contemporary Art. After Michelangelo Pistoletto, Maurizio Cattelan, Paola Pivi and Luigi Ontani, this year's artist is Stefano Arienti. For the event, Arienti created Cristalli, a sophisticated tribute to Italy, which is about to celebrate the 150th anniversary of national unity.

The Day of Contemporary Art is about more than art, however, as it is deeply committed to social issues. On 9 October of this year AMACI has thus decided to work alongside LILA, the Italian League for the Fight against AIDS, in the information campaign about prevention of the HIV virus, as well as its clinical and social consequences. AMACI and contemporary art are committed to raising public awareness about the importance of prevention, and to promoting and defending the right to health.

The Day of Contemporary Art, under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, is supported by the Directorate General for Landscape, Fine Arts, Architecture and Contemporary Arts of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the European Commission Representation in Italy, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Senate of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, the Union of Italian Provinces, the National Association of Italian Municipalities, and ICOM Italy.

Again this year, the UniCredit Group is the official partner for the Day of Contemporary Art, which also enjoys the support of Terna SpA. Intermedia Broker SpA (supporting partner) and the Region of Tuscany (affiliated partner) are also backing the event.

AMACI – Associazione dei Musei d'Arte Contemporanea Italiani is a not-for-profit association of 26 of the most important contemporary art museums in Italy. Established in 2003 with the mission of supporting contemporary art and related institutional policies, AMACI has continued to strengthen its role year after year as an institution and a point of reference for promoting contemporary artistic research in Italy and worldwide.