Since 2005, in October, the museums and collections of contemporary art have offered free admission for one day to all visitors, with a varied programme of events, thanks to the initiative promoted by Associazione Musei d’Arte Contemporanea Italiani (Association of Italian Museums of Contemporary Art).
The Contemporary Art Day (Giornata del Contemporaneo) traditionally includes participation by the Farnesina Art Collection, which offers access to its collection of more than 400 works of twentieth-century Italian art of the finest quality. It starts with Futurism and reaches the Transavantgarde, through the works of Balla, Boccioni, Depero, de Chirico, Carrà, Sironi, Guttuso, Afro, Burri, Fontana, Schifano, Vespignani, Paladino and many others. An artistic heritage that in 2017 was awarded the Mecenati of the XXI Century for “best art collection in the world in public offices”.
Since 2018, thanks in part to the foreign network of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Contemporary Art Day is celebrated all over the world. Embassies, Consular Offices and Italian Cultural Institutes organize events, debates, presentations, workshops and exhibitions. As well as artists and works, producers, curators, organizers, museum directors and critics are also involved to explore the system of contemporary art in Italy.