The aftermath of the pandemic has presented us with the need, and the possibility, to think about alternative models for the museum. Such institutions are now required to take a clear position and take responsibility for the needs of the community it represents, sharing its resources and spaces. These prerogatives have led to the creation of the Nuovo Forno del Pane, a possible model for the new museum: no longer a home for artworks, but a production space for artists, a forge for new works, and an incubator for new projects through which to experiment with a more radical and direct museology. The 2020 exhibition programme has therefore been partially interrupted in order to entrust local artists, creatives and cultural associations with the great Sala delle Ciminiere in MAMbo (Bologna) and the surrounding spaces to start again, together.

The Nuovo Forno del Pane is designed to overturn the conventional “scheme” of museum activity and propose a different model from the traditional one that revolves around exhibitions and collections. It is a more open system, with artists and spaces at the centre of the creative process, and is based on three key concepts: the production of art as an operational and research tool, the construction of a reference community, and self-training as a shared practice of growth and the provision of equipment and skills.

The idea of creating a shared workspace such as the Nuovo Forno del Pane also stemmed from the awareness that workers in the visual arts sector were among those most affected by the current health crisis. The 13 participants were primarily recognised as ‘workers’, a condition that allowed them to freely access their studios, even during the most restrictive periods of lockdown. This identification laid the groundwork for a series of possibilities and opportunities, tangibly illustrating how necessary it is today to recognise the work of the artist at every level of the system. In this dramatic context, we managed to create a community of artists who began to work and design together.