Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche

Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche
Name	Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche
Formation	1975
Founder	Benetton Group
Type	Cultural foundation
Headquarters	Treviso
Location	Italy
Leader title	President
Leader name	Luciano Benetton

Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche is an Italian cultural foundation founded in 1975 by the Benetton Group to promote studies in territorial planning, landscape, and heritage through research, exhibitions, and publications. Located in Treviso, the foundation has engaged with institutions such as the Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica, the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, and international centres including the Getty Research Institute and the Institut national d'histoire de l'art. Its activities intersect with figures and organizations like Aldo Rossi, Renzo Piano, Giorgio Bassani, Gillo Dorfles, and the European Cultural Foundation.

History

The foundation was established by the Benetton family amid cultural initiatives linked to the Benetton Group and the publishing activities of Oliviero Toscani collaborators, following precedents such as the creation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization partnerships and dialogues with the Council of Europe. Early collaborations included exchanges with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and archives from collectors like Carlo Carra and correspondences relating to Giorgio de Chirico. The foundation has hosted conferences with participants from the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and curators connected to the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Modern. Over decades it has responded to debates led by Jane Jacobs-inspired urbanists, Patrick Geddes disciples, and practitioners influenced by Le Corbusier and Camillo Sitte.

Mission and Activities

The foundation's mandate links research on landscape and territorial planning to public dissemination through exhibitions and publications, aligning with programs of institutions like the European Commission cultural directorates and networks such as Europa Nostra and the International Council on Monuments and Sites. Activities include convening symposia that have featured speakers from the Politecnico di Milano, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, and the University of Oxford, and partnering with museums like the Palazzo Grassi and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It undertakes projects related to policies promoted by the Council of the European Union and research frameworks akin to those of the Horizon 2020 programme.

Collections and Archives

The foundation preserves documentary collections comprising maps, photographs, architectural drawings, and correspondences tied to personalities such as Giuseppe Samonà, Ettore Sottsass, Adriano Olivetti, and Mario Botta. Archival holdings include materials linked to the Veneto region, records from campaigns related to the Venice Biennale, and dossiers on conservation projects involving the World Monuments Fund and the ICOMOS Italian committee. The repository has been used by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, and the New York University Department of Art History.

Research and Publications

Research outputs span monographs, catalogues, and proceedings that engage with scholarly debates reflected in journals like Casabella, Domus (magazine), and Lotus International. Publications have included essays by critics and historians such as Gillo Dorfles, Salvatore Settis, Terry Smith, and Manfredo Tafuri, and collaborations with publishers like Marsilio Editori and Electa. The foundation coordinates research projects with academic partners including the Università IUAV di Venezia, the Politecnico di Torino, and cross-disciplinary teams referencing methodologies from the Getty Conservation Institute and the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science.

Exhibitions and Programs

Exhibition programmes have addressed themes from rural landscape transformation to urban conservation, staging shows in venues ranging from the Civic Museums of Treviso to satellite spaces associated with the Venice Architecture Biennale and the Triennale di Milano. Curators affiliated include figures linked to the Serpentine Galleries, the Fondazione Prada, and the Centre Pompidou. Programs have featured projects in dialogue with the European Heritage Days, collaborative displays with the National Gallery (London), and touring exhibitions shown at institutions like the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.

Education and Outreach

Educational initiatives encompass seminars, workshops, and fellowships for students and professionals from institutions including the Università degli Studi di Padova, the Royal College of Art, and the New School. Outreach efforts have engaged civic bodies such as the Comune di Treviso and non-governmental organisations like Slow Food and Legambiente, and have organized public lectures with contributors from the British Academy, the American Academy in Rome, and the Fulbright Program.

Governance and Funding

Governance is overseen by a board with links to the Benetton family and cultural figures from the Fondazione Cini, the Accademia dei Lincei, and the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti. Funding sources combine endowment support from the Benetton Group, project grants from bodies such as the Fondazione Cariplo, European funding instruments like Creative Europe, and partnerships with private sponsors including fashion houses and foundations similar to the Fondazione Prada. Collaborative funding models have paralleled initiatives supported by the European Cultural Foundation and philanthropic frameworks associated with the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Category:Cultural organisations based in Italy