Museo Madre
In the historic heart of Naples, the three floors of the 19th-century Palazzo Donnaregina house the Madre - Donnaregina Museum of Contemporary Art.
Name of the practice nominated: Pre-Madre
Describe the practice, program, or project, what innovative approach is proposed, and in which core museum activities it applies:
This year, the Madre Museum has launched a series of guided tours designed exclusively for pregnant women and new mothers. The initiative follows in the footsteps of successful examples such as the “Nati con la Cultura” program introduced by Palazzo Madama in 2014. Titled Pre-Madre, the project aims to promote the museum as a welcoming space for community gathering, offering comfort and care during such a crucial period in a woman’s life.
Grounded in the belief that art can be a powerful source of well-being, regeneration, and creative empowerment—starting from the very first 1,000 days of life, including pregnancy and the earliest years—the Madre Museum aspires to serve as a safe haven where these benefits can naturally unfold. The initiative also seeks to encourage meaningful connections and exchanges among mothers and new mothers, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.
The institution is located in a very popular barrio of the city, Sanità. While the settlement in Rione Sanità was originally established as a home for noble and rich families of Naples' aristocracy, the area eventually turned into one of the most infamous and degraded of Naples. Unemployment, poverty, and the widespread presence of Camorra have long characterized the quarter.
The Pre-Madre program also aims to reach mothers and new mothers living in the neighborhood, not only by offering content specifically designed for them, but also by creating a moment of peace and respite within a context that often overlooks or fails to accommodate their secondary, yet essential, needs.
Explain in one sentence why you think the project you nominate is outstanding and could serve as an example for the entire community of modern and contemporary art museums.
Pre-Madre is a program specifically designed for a limited and therefore often overlooked segment of the public, and it also seeks to establish deep roots within the complex social context in which the museum is located.
Explain why this practice or program is relevant and sustainable in creating meaningful and lasting connections with people, communities, and the museum context with a medium to long-term vision.
The Pre-Madre program’s medium- to long-term vision lies in embedding the museum more deeply within its local social fabric. By engaging directly with the neighborhood’s residents, Pre-Madre positions the museum as an active civic actor—a space for care, dialogue, and cultural participation.
Furthermore, the program’s focus on early motherhood leverages the transformative potential of art to promote well-being and foster community resilience from the earliest stages of life. This approach lays the groundwork for sustained relationships, not only with individual participants, but also with their broader family and support networks—paving the way for generational connections to the museum and lasting cultural engagement.
What are the outcomes of the practice you are most proud of?
What makes us most proud at the end of each Pre-Madre guided visit is seeing the mothers sit together at the café tables, exchanging advice on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and even phone numbers to stay in touch.
Perhaps this doesn't seem directly related to art—but it is precisely thanks to art, and within the museum’s welcoming context, that these women felt seen, cared for, and supported. And perhaps, because of that experience, they will want to return—this time bringing their children with them.
How has the nominated practice changed your methods and ways of working?
Pre-Madre was born shortly after the birth of my own daughter, from a retrospective desire to have built meaningful connections during pregnancy—connections that would have been invaluable once she was born. It came from the need to have someone to ask even the silliest questions, to share doubts with, and, why not, to simply vent together.