> modern and contemporary art collection
The Castelbuono Civic Museum’s collection of contemporary art was established in the second half of the 1990s with the Luigi Di Piazza Donation, a collection of mainly Italian paintings and sculptures. Over the years, the core collection has been consolidated through the acquisition of the estate of the Castelbuono-born artist Paolo Cicero (1878–1932) and the sculptures of Mario Pecoraino (1930–2019), on display to the public in the museum’s Sala San Giorgio.
A vibrant and participatory museum
Since the 2000s, the Castelbuono Civic Museum has established itself as an open cultural laboratory: a place where the permanent collection is not a closed archive, but a constantly evolving entity.
Through artist residencies, collaborations with the academic world and the support of the Ministry of Culture, the museum has promoted the creation of site-specific works — pieces conceived and produced in direct dialogue with the castle’s historical heritage and with the active participation of the Castelbuono community.
The result is a collection that reflects a clear mission: to serve as a meeting point between Mediterranean cultures and contemporary artistic languages. Painting, sculpture, photography, video and digital art coexist in an exhibition that continues to grow and renew itself.
The new exhibition layout for 2025: a sustainable vision
From July 2025, the contemporary art collection will be presented in a new guise, the result of a revitalisation project designed by the firm AM3 Architetti Associati.
The new exhibition design stems from a clear vision: to create a dialogue between the artworks and the historic architecture of the Castello dei Ventimiglia, extending the exhibition route to the rooms of the former stables and the Sacred Art section. Spaces diverse in nature and history, united by a coherent narrative.
At the heart of the project is also a commitment to environmental responsibility: materials from previous exhibitions have been recovered and repurposed to house the works in a new configuration, reducing waste and making the most of what already existed.
An experience for every visitor
The new exhibition layout pays particular attention to accessibility and the digitalisation of the exhibition route. Tools for easier reading, high-visibility panels and QR codes linked to interviews and multimedia insights make the collection accessible to an ever-wider and more diverse audience.
A museum that does not merely preserve, but connects: the historical memory of the Ventimiglia Castle with the aesthetic sensibility of the present, local heritage with the tools of the contemporary world.
T-Cunto
T-Cunto is a 12-stage audio narrative journey to discover the Castelbuono Civic Museum, the Ventimiglia Castle and its collections through voice, music and storytelling.
A collaborative project that weaves together different skills and perspectives: class 3A of the Liceo delle Scienze Umane ‘L. Failla Tedaldi’ in Castelbuono — involved as part of the PCTO programme — playwright Riccardo Tabilio and composer Francesco Prestigiacomo.
The result is a brand-new audio work, born from the local area and designed for visitors: a fresh and engaging way to experience the castle’s spaces and let its story unfold.
The artists in the collection
The exhibition presents a carefully curated selection of forty leading figures from the national and international art scene, representing a much broader heritage held by the museum.
The new exhibition layout has been designed to be dynamic by nature: works in storage are rotated in and out of the exhibition, ensuring that the narrative of the contemporary is constantly renewed and that every visit offers something new.
In the galleries, visitors encounter the photographic vision of Letizia Battaglia, Lisetta Carmi, Melo Minnella, Sandro Scalia and Francesco Bellina. The dialogue with history and painting is represented by the display of works by masters such as Bruno Caruso, Mimmo Cuticchio, Alessandro Bazan, Francesco De Grandi, Ignazio Moncada, Aldo Pecoraino and Filippo La Vaccara.
The collection explores new languages and contemporary installations with works by: Salvatore Arancio, Aterraterra, Lupo Borgonovo, Gai Candido, Marco Cingolani, Claire Fontaine, Beatrice Gibson, Laboratorio Saccardi, Loredana Longo, Emiliano Maggi, Mangano&van Rooy, Umberto Mariani, MASBEDO, Concetta Modica, Ignazio Mortellaro, Olaf Nicolai, Romano Notari, Filippo Panseca, Genny Petrotta, Lisa Rampilli, Maria Domenica Rapicavoli, Giulio Squillacciotti, Studio++, Disma Tumminello, Luca Trevisani and Ionee Waterhouse.
On display is a mosaic of talent that bears witness to the Castelbuono Civic Museum’s vocation as a vibrant centre of cultural production: a place where the memory of the past and the vision of the present meet and are continually renewed.
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