Museum of Contemporary Art in Sicily — Attraction in Catania

Remarkably high quality collection of contemporary figurative art (painting, sculpture and photography). While a relatively small collection, nearly every piece arrested my gaze; my regards to the curator and thanks to this museum for supporting this under-appreciated bit of the contemporary art world.

If you find yourself in Catania, come by and see some amazing, moving figurative work created by artists who are presently working and contributing to our culture.

This museum, along with a similar collection in Barcelona, make strong arguments for the continued relevance, if not superiority, of figurative art to move the heart and mind of the viewer, without the need for tedious, discursive explanations of the artists' intent and "vision."

I'm a fan of very many abstract art works and a few abstract artists, but the vast majority of contemporary abstract art doesn't speak to me or have any direct emotional impact upon me (out of the thousands of pieces I've seen, I can call to mind only a few that "moved" me in the way many pieces in this museum moved me).

For my part, I want visual art to, at a minimum, "be worth a thousand words" without my having to read a thousand words before I can see what the artist was trying to "say." Often, it seems that the "art" is more of an illustration or demonstration of the ideas expressed in the "artists statement" than "art" that stands on its own two feet.

Perhaps many abstract artists are toiling away at something that is just not their calling; maybe philosophy, or essay-based cultural criticism is where they can best contribute. In saying this, I'm not trying to silence anyone, but rather urging them to "speak" in whatever form most effectively conveys...

MACS is a small but fascinating art museum located in part of a former convent. The unique layout of the historic building creates a series of intimate spaces which host a variety of works by both Italian and international artists. Of particular note are the oil paintings, some of which are so detailed as to look like photographs at first glance.

The friendly lady at the front desk kindly took the time to provide more information about the museum, such as that it is a family-run operation that has many pieces in storage, so that works on display are regularly rotated. She also provided some useful information about where else to view art in Catania.

This museum is a small but bright gem and is certainly worth a visit by anyone who is...

First of all, size wise, it's a gallery not a museum. Secondly, at least what we saw presented, looks like end of the year art school students fair, and not necessarily of the best school or of the graduates. Besides one or two pieces worth a second look, mostly is at best decorative art, and anyway not worth 7€ entrance fee. We spent about 10-15min in both spaces together. The only reason I give it 3 and not 2 stars is because it's so rare to find in Italy display of contemporary art, that I appreciate their intentions, but not really the efforts...skip it unless you really have nothing else to do (which might be the case,...