Rome Is a Comet

Then the vision expanded: from art to architecture.
Observing the area around the Ministry, one notices that the surrounding buildings date to the first half of the 20th century. Yet just across the Tiber lies a different Rome—the Rome of the 1960 Olympics—with landmarks such as the Palazzetto dello Sport, the Auditorium, the Stadio Flaminio, the MAXXI, and the future Museum of Science: architectural icons marking the transition from the postwar decades into the present.

The Palazzo della Farnesina, designed by Enrico Del Debbio, stands as a temporal hinge between these two historical phases: on one side, the monumental rationalism of the Fascist regime; on the other, the reconstructive energy of the postwar Republic. It remains the only building that meaningfully connects past and future, memory and vision.

Why not, then, reweave the architectural fabric on both sides of the Tiber's bend, just as the Farnesina Collection has reconnected the threads of Italian art history, to offer a new, unified urban narrative?

Out of this question, the idea took form: to give a new name to this area—one that could heal the fractures of the 20th century, unify architectures, functions, and symbols, and assert its identity as "the Contemporary District".
From the Foro Italico to the Farnesina, from the Palazzetto dello Sport to the Stadio Flaminio, from the Olympic Village to the MAXXI, the Auditorium, the Mosque, the Ponte della Musica, and the future Museum of Science—this constellation of sites defines a new identity.

With Rome Is a Comet, a third step is taken: the District becomes not only a monumental gateway to ancient Rome, but also a threshold to the Rome of today—green, athletic, cultured, and international.
From this "comet's core" an itinerary unfolds along Via Flaminia, reaching Piazza Augusto Imperatore, the new Archaeological Promenade, the Pyramid quarter, EUR, Casal Palocco, and finally Ostia—tracing the radiant path of a contemporary Forma Urbis, from the twentieth century into the present.

The District project, active for over six years, is expanding into a broader vision of Rome as a contemporary metropolis—capable of meeting the challenges of overcrowding, sustainability, and inclusion.
Rome Is a Comet invites us to rediscover the city as a fluid, dynamic, and collective experience.

The exhibition brings together the living presence of the contemporary, stretching all the way to Ostia—Rome by the Mediterranean.

Umberto Vattani writes: "This project opens the gaze onto another Rome. Rome Is a Comet overturns the usual perspective on the city. It doesn't begin with ancient Rome, nor with the boundaries of the Aurelian walls or the marble maps engraved under Septimius Severus. It begins with another Rome—one in constant evolution. From an urban quadrant—the Contemporary District—where the Tiber opens into a living, inhabited river park. A forgotten truth reemerges: Rome was born on the Tiber. And thanks to its river, it has always been a maritime city as well."
Traditional guidebooks begin with ruins. This notebook tells a different story, lingering on the signs of the contemporary: a new Forma Urbis that opens toward the future."

The Installation
Rome Is a Comet offers an immersive experience that transforms the exhibition space into a vivid, symbolic reflection of the Eternal City—seen through the lens of its contemporary urban identity and layered meanings. A collective composition that overturns the traditional gaze, seeking not simply to narrate, but to reveal a Rome that is alive, restless, and constantly catching us by surprise.

Presented at Ca' Tron—historic seat of Università Iuav di Venezia—the exhibition unfolds within a vaulted hall, where the ceiling becomes both architectural centerpiece and conceptual compass. A suspended overhead structure displays a nocturnal aerial view of Rome, evoking the city as a luminous constellation.

The multisensory experience, housed in the sixteenth-century palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal, features a large-scale floor map by Laura Canali tracing the comet's trajectory; six wall-mounted screens present video sequences with bilingual voiceovers; while the ceiling projection completes the visual immersion with its evocative nightscape.

To accompany the exhibition, a tear-off notepad has been produced, featuring a reimagined Forma Urbis of contemporary Rome—from the 20th century to today—offering visitors a tangible and intuitive way to explore the city's ongoing evolution.

The exhibition is accompanied by a notebook featuring texts by Umberto Vattani, Cristiana Collu, María Margarita Segarra Lagunes, Rosalia Vittorini, and Walter Tocci, available for free during the preview on 7 May and later at the Biennale bookshop.

Project promoted by:
Venice International University – VIU; Università Iuav di Venezia; Università degli Studi Roma Tre; Distretto del Contemporaneo; DOCOMOMO Italia

With the support of:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Ministry of Culture – Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity; Ministry of University and Research; Ministry of Environment and Energy Security; Ministry for Civil Protection and the Sea; Ministry of Tourism; Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma; Accademia di San Luca; MAXXI; Accademia dei Lincei; Fondazione Querini Stampalia; Pontifical Gregorian University; Pontifical University of the Holy Cross; Italian Geographical Society; National Institute for Astrophysics; City of Rome; Lazio Region, Unipol.