Modern Rome - Part 2

MAXXI-Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo
2009, Zaha Hadid
via Guido Reni 4a
06 399 67 350; www.fondazionemaxxi.it

In recent years, two rich zones of cultural activity have developed on opposite sides of Rome's historical center, along via Flaminia to the north and via Ostiense to the south. The northern district, noted for the Fascist-era Foro Italico and the facilities built for the 1960 Olympics, has been enriched by the Auditorium Parco della Musica and Fondazione MAXXI. Zaha Hadid's breathtaking new building was inaugurated twice; first, in November 2009, empty of art, the building was "interpreted" by a contemporary dance company, allowing the public to admire the very dramatic, sinuous, commanding structure. In May 2010, a second opening presented the building installed with contemporary art, together with exhibitions dedicated to artists and architects of the twentieth century, and the public could more fully judge how this spectacular container works as a place to display something besides itself. For the most part, reactions have been favorable and Rome has been heralded internationally for the more prominent role it is likely to occupy in the contemporary art scene. The rival municipal institution MACRO will further enrich Rome's contemporary art presence.

Jeffrey Blanchard
Jeffrey Blanchard won the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome in 1977. He has lived in Rome ever since, teaching in the world of American studies abroad, principally (since 1988) for Cornell in Rome, where he is Academic Coordinator.