Welcome to CIMAM to Beatrice Merz!
"I founded and developed the Fondazione Merz in open contrast to the concept of art as monument, or as the image of memory, powerful but static. Building on this same spirit, I try to interprets its role as a centre of energy for art that goes beyond borders, expanding and occupying/tackling, along trajectories of lines, vectors and spirals, the human, cultural and geographical territories of its environment, whether recent or remote.
I consider the existence of organizations protecting the code of ethics of public and private institutions interfacing with the public to be fundamental. I always reflect on the nature of the place of culture not only in terms of possible visitors but also in terms of the role played by the artists, the curators and all the art museum’s professionals themselves and their work, the protagonist elements of the cultural space of the institution. From this perspective I have from many years followed and always been inspired and documented by ICOM's good practices."
Beatrice Merz, President and Director, Contemporary Art, Fondazione Merz, Turin, Italy.
"After the restoration and opening of the site and after the “long Sunday” almost twenty packed years of activities, exhibitions, concerts and meetings, I and the Fondazione Merz is opening a new chapter in our life. The site for the art works, which has passed from being an “artist’s house” to a “house for artists”, has inevitably matured its role “springing from an impulse for survival”, and has become a responsive and proactive player for new opportunities: programmes that will be realised not only in Turin but also in other cities and locations. With Palermo we had a first example.
Starting from the concept of a foundation as understood by contemporary culture, but also from what can be derived from the history and evolution of the institution as a place and meaning, we cannot imagine it to be a ‘closed' physical and mental space. Indeed, both because the Fondazione is dedicated to a strong and special relationship with the territory, and because it is focused on dialogue with the outside world or indeed sees both of these values converge, the very reason of its existence is its ‘roominess’, its practicability and vocation for permeability. The constituent elements of contemporary museums are associated with its logic of openness, both to the outside world, and in receptive and participatory terms.
For those reasons, I consider it crucial for me to update myself through other outlets of knowledge and relationships. CIMAM as a catalyst of experience can help me open up other avenues of innovation and artistic knowledge through exchange and synergy between institutions and members. A meeting place finds new approach strategies."
About Beatrice
Beatrice Merz founded the Merz Foundation, exhibition centre in Turin, in 2005. The project was designed together with her father and aimed to promote contemporary artists as well as hosting the collection of Mario and Marisa Merz’s works.
In addition to this, Beatrice was the director of Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea (2010-2015), and also held the position of Artistic Director of the ZACentrale project (2021-2024), through which the City of Palermo has entrusted Fondazione Merz as artistic management of the Zac Pavilion at the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa.
In 1986 Beatrice founded the publishing house hopefulmonster that is still active today.
Since 2015, in conjunction with the renewed role as Director and President of Fondazione Merz in Torino, Beatrice is also President of the twin Swiss Merz Foundation and from 2013 of the Mario Merz Prize, International Biennial Art and Music Prize.
About CIMAM
CIMAM – International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art – is an Affiliated Organization of ICOM.* Founded in 1962, CIMAM’s vision is a world where the contribution of museums, collections, and archives of modern and contemporary art to the cultural, social, and economic well-being of society is recognized and respected.
Join today, and take part in our network with over 900 contemporary art museum professionals from 90 countries.
Thank you, Beatrice Merz, for becoming a member of CIMAM!