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Republic of San Marino
San Marino.
State Museums · Modern art

Gallery of Modern and
Contemporary Art

The history of the Gallery begins in 1956 with the first International Art Biennale of San Marino: five hundred artists on review, Renato Guttuso on the jury and a debate on contemporary language that turned the Republic into an unexpected meeting point. The works awarded in the following editions formed the founding nucleus of the State collection, today arranged in four thematic sections.

First Biennale
1956
Opening artists
500 +
Sections
4

Source: Cultural Institutes of the Republic of San Marino

Interior of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, works of the Reality and Abstraction section
Volunteers' Loggias · Liburni Garden
Reality and Abstraction section
§ I — The legacy of the Biennials

Born in 1956

In 1956 the Republic launched the first International Art Biennale, an exhibition with over five hundred artists and a jury chaired among others by Renato Guttuso. The event opened a season of shows that, over more than a decade, drew to City of San Marino a significant share of the European debate on contemporary language. The works awarded in each edition became part of State heritage, forming the core of the Gallery.

Today the State collection includes works of painters, sculptors and research-based artists active from the second post-war period to today. The display is organised in four sections that follow not so much a chronological criterion as a thematic reading of the artistic twentieth century, with specific attention to the experimental languages that entered the Sammarinese debate between the IV and the VI Biennale.

«A small European Republic that in the 1950s chose to be an international stage: the origin of the Gallery is to be looked for in that choice.»
§ II — The four sections

A thematic route

The four sections of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Section Time span Focus
Reality and abstraction 1940s-1950s The Second World War and post-war in painting
Experimental languages 1963-1968 Contemporary research that entered the IV and VI Biennials
Crossing history From the late 20th c. A new relationship with material and colour
Performative archive In progress Documents, artist portfolios and books from European microstates

The Performative Archive is an open space combining documentary consultation, small exhibitions and residencies. One of its specificities is the collection of artist books from the European microstates. The Gallery uses this venue also to bring back to the public portions of the heritage not on permanent display.

§ III — Practical information

Seat and contacts

Address
Volunteers' Loggias, Liburni Garden, City of San Marino
Telephone
+378 0549 888241
Management
Cultural Institutes of the Republic of San Marino
Circuit
Included in the State Museums

For up-to-date opening hours and tariffs consult the official site of the Cultural Institutes (museidistato.sm) before the visit.

§ IV — Further reading

Inside the State Museums

State Museums

St. Francis Art Gallery

The ancient chapter of Sammarinese painting, the natural counterpoint to the twentieth-century Gallery.
State Museums

State Museum

Five thousand finds between archaeology, numismatics and the Garibaldi section.
Culture · Institution

State Library

Library holdings and documentary archive of the Republic, a short distance from the Gallery.
FAQ · Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

What is the origin of the Gallery?
It was born with the International Art Biennials of San Marino, the first edition of which was held in 1956 with over 500 artists and Renato Guttuso among the jury members. The collection took shape over time with the winning works and subsequent acquisitions.
Where is it today?
At the Volunteers' Loggias, in the Liburni Garden, in the historic centre of the City of San Marino.
What sections make it up?
Four: "Reality and abstraction" dedicated to the years of the Second World War and post-war; "Experimental languages" on research that entered the Biennale between 1963 and 1968; "Crossing history" on languages from the late twentieth century; "Performative archive" a documentary and research space.
Is it a State-run museum?
Yes. The Gallery is part of the State Museums circuit and is included among the activities of the Cultural Institutes of the Republic, which curate its protection and promotion as heritage inscribed among the UNESCO assets.
Does it host temporary exhibitions?
The exhibition programme includes dossier shows, monographic focuses and projects linked to archival research. The updated calendar is published on museidistato.sm.