Italian
A shared place for meeting, gathering, and cultural dialogue
MESTRE (VE). “Art Archives” is the name chosen for the building located between Via Poerio and Piazza Ferretto, in the center of Mestre, renovated and reopened to the public in early December 2024.
The history of the building
The former Piazza Ferretto Library in Mestre has been there since 1927, when the city was still part of the Diocese of Treviso. Count Enrico Matteo Passi, president of the Catholic Bank of San Liberale, decided to open the Mestre branch. The development of Porto Marghera and the chemical industry hub will increase the finance that leads to the birth of the new and unified Catholic Bank of Veneto, one of the most powerful Italian banks.
For the construction of the new building in the center of Mestre, two single-story farmhouses near the Duomo are being demolished, with the constraint of not “overshadowing” the 14th-century Scoletta and its staircase, as well as the Duomo di San Lorenzo itself.
Since then, the bank’s headquarters have been at the center of a strong debate over its use, especially in the 90s of the last century. Demolition or establishment of an institution in favor of the citizens?
Eventually, it was decided to use the building as a newspaper library, which, even after closing, continued to fuel public debate. What to do with it? There was even talk of a possible referendum until the current solution was found, which everyone agreed on.
The Art Archive is Born
On December 6, 2024, the Emeroteca dell’Arte was finally opened in place of the former emeroteca.
A center dedicated to art and culture, the result of a virtuous collaboration between the Municipality of Venice, the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, and the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa. A place returned to the citizens with a great ambition: to be a reference point for artistic production and cultural exploration, combining the charm of visual arts with the pleasure of reading and literary discussion.
Artist Residencies
The 13 workshops offer young artists a unique opportunity to work, create, and grow in a stimulating and professional environment. They host 10 artists selected through the public competition of the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation, with which the Venice Civic Museums Foundation has entered into a collaboration agreement.
Furthermore, two residences are assigned to two artists among the participants in the 2024 edition of the Artisans of Our Time competition, and another residence to a painter participating in the Mestre Painting Prize 2024. The 15 studios of the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation in Venice and the additional 13 at the palace in Piazza Ferretto/Via Poerio in Mestre managed by the Civic Museums Foundation thus become Italy’s largest artist residency program.
Next to the workshops, the literary café represents a point of meeting and dialogue, a place where culture and social interaction intertwine. Here citizens and visitors will be able to discover the pleasure of reading, share ideas, and take part in events that will constantly liven up this space.
A regeneration that catalyzes talents
“A regeneration in the urban heart of Piazza Ferretto to expand the offer aimed at the citizens of the entire metropolitan area, which is linked to the interventions on the new Vez, the Candiani “House of Contemporaneity,” the Palaplip, the De Amicis, the Albanese-Bissuola Park, as well as the forts,” explained Mayor Luigi Brugnaro during the inauguration.
“We envisioned these spaces not only as a container, but as a real catalyst of ideas and talents. Here, tradition meets innovation, and cultural dialogue is enriched thanks to a program that aims to involve emerging artists, scholars, and all those who see culture as a form of personal and collective growth. I sincerely thank the Municipality of Venice for the trust placed in the Foundation, the professionals who worked with dedication on this project, and all those who will now live in and animate these spaces,” explained Mariacristina Gribaudi, President of the MUVE Foundation.
The facade of the Art Newspaper Library building saw for its inauguration the installation
of Lion’s Tail by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. An artwork that was part of the historic exhibition at the Correr Museum in Venice in 1999, now part of the civic collections heritage.
Photo credits: City of Venice Live
