Contemporary Tour

Information

Route across the town centre and the next outskirts. It is possible to cover the route for many stretches also by car.

Route characteristics

Route length: 16 km.
Travelling time: 3.30 hours.
Difficulty level: easy.

Route description

High Speed train Station

The station designed by Santiago Calatrava is the only stop on the high speed line between Bologna and Milan, choosen to serve all the so-call area Mediopadana, the central part of the Padana plain. It is 4km far from the town centre and it acts as an intermodal exchange point with Regional line trains and with public and private urban services.

Calatrava Bridges

Designed by the spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the three white steel bridges are part of the same riqualification project of the north area of the town that includes the High Speed train Station. They are new entrance doors to Reggio Emilia, redrawing in a contemporary way the skyline of the town and acting as a distinguish landmark for the city itself.

Evolution of Talent by Franco Reggiani

The work of art is placed not far from the High Speed train Station and it's a creation by Franco Reggiani (Reggio Emilia 1926 - 1991), artist and designer internationally famous. The statue melts foundating parts of seven different veicles such as the front of the Alfa P12, the car used by Enzo Ferrari when he run the first race as Scuderia Ferrari and the hood and the spoiler of the Villeneuve's T5.

Dance of planets and stars by Eliseo Mattiacci - Fonderia 39

The National Dance foundation is house inside the socalled Fonderia39, the former seat of production of the Lombardini Motori industry, one of the examples of industrial archaeology in town. In the back courtyard, for the project "Invitation to..." in 2005 the contemporary art work Danza di Astri e Stelle (Dance of planets and stars) has been placed. It's as a modern astronomy book, with signs carved that place us in front of a misterious vision of the cosmo in everlasting discovery.

Pesce fuor d'acqua (fish out of water) and Ianua Coeli

The two art works are place one next to the other just outside the Santa Croce Arch. Pesce fuor d'acqua (in photo) is by Giovanni Menada and placed where once there was a stream of water derived form Secchia torrent, that was used by the silk workshops present in Santa Croce area. A bucket that recalls the local history and tradition and a fish, representative of the condition of men, as the artist said.
Ianua Coeli by Giordano Montorsi, placed not far, wants to be, in a more modern way than the near Santa Croce Arch, the entrance door of the town that expands towards the environment, representing a city that wants to unclose itself.

Loris Malaguzzi International Center

Housed inside the former industrial building Locatelli, one of the examples of industrial archeaology present in town, the Center was born after the experience of the pedagogist of Reggio Emilia, Loris Malaguzzi and it aims to spread and develop his approach to children and childhood. His work, since 80s, has inspired entire generations and has call to Reggio Emilia teachers, students, scholars and pedagogists from all over the world.

Tecnopolo

Research hub for mechanics, constructions, agribusiness, energy and environment, the Tecnopole was born to produce and spread knowledge, to attract hi-tech businesses and to act as a sort of incubator for start-up and spin-off.

Less Than by Robert Morris - San Domenico Cloisters

The art work was created for the project "Invito a...." promoted by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia in 2005. in that occasion artists of international fame was invited to create art works to be placed in spot of the city choosen by themselves.
Less than was projected for the smaller of the two San Domenico Cloisters and originally it joined the concrete shape of the sculpture with a sonorous part that played at twilight, reproducing industrial sounds.

Araba Fenice (Arabian Phoenix) by Luciano Fabro - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Part of the cycle of works created in 2005 for the project "Invitation to...", L'araba fenice (the Arabian Phoenix) is located in the central portico of the former Zucchi Barracks, now seat of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. It's a gold iranian travertine marble column, 7m high and slghtly tapered on top and joins materical elements with working processes that aim to imitate the natural trees veining.

Tricolour Flag Museum - Ground floor

The ground floor of the Museum, since 2017 housed a rich section dedicated to contemporary art that gathers the art works created on the occasion of the initiative "90 artisti per una bandiera" (90art ists for one flag), wanted by Deanna Veroni to substain the Mum and Child Hospital and donated bv the Storchi family to the Comunity of Reggio Emilia. The works are inspired by the flags, exposed in 2011 along the streets in town on the occasion of the 150° anniversary of the Unification of Italy, that reproduced the different shapes assumed by the Tricolor flag during its history.

Whirls and Thirls by Sol Lewitt - Biblioteca Panizzi

The art work, designed by the american artist for the city of Reggio Emilia in 2004, was the first of the works created for the project "Invitation to..."
The big fresco was realized on the voult of the reading room on the first floor of the Panizzi Library by a group coordinated by three Sol Lewitt's assistants with the cooperation of nine young artist of Reggio Emilia.

Marco Gerra's sculpture - Piazzale Duca d'Aosta

The sculpture, abstract work of art, is 10 m high and weighs 90 quintals. It is composed of eight parts, geometrically shaped, soldered and varnished in orange, black and white.
It can evocate the industrial civilization that, at the beginning of the Twentieth century developed in the near Gardenia area. Next to the sculpture, for Annamaria Ternelli Gerra's will, there's the latin inscription: "extra cognitionem nulla salus" (There's no salvation without knowledge).

Maramotti Collection

Displayed inside the first production building of Max Mara group, it's the private collection of contemporary art of the founder of the brand name. On display are over 200 art works, among paintings, sculpture and installation, representative of the main italian and international artistic trends from 1945 to today.