"So, what’s this place about? Designed by Zaha Hadid, this is Rome’s museum for all things contemporary, with exhibitions spanning modern fashion, cinema, art, and architecture. Heck, it’s worth visiting just to check out the building, a piece of art in itself. How’s the space? The labyrinthine space at MAXXI is astounding. It gets busy, but there's so much space that you wouldn't notice. Big, wide halls give way to rooms of different themes and sizes, resulting in five floors of non-stop, incredible artwork. Spaces range from performing arts vignettes to galleries with modern artworks to open cinemas. For some, this might feel a little incoherent, but it helps if you take it in as a whole rather than different spaces. The art’s the main thing, of course. How is it? There’s a small permanent exhibition, but it’s the ever-evolving rotation of temporary shows – from a Giovani Anselmo exhibition to an AI take on Dante’s Inferno – that really draw the crowds. Did you meet anyone on staff? Did they make an impression? Staff are light on the ground, but if you can track one down, they’re more than happy to help. At the end of the day, what—or who—is this place best for? MAXXI is the kind of place you go to spend half a day, with no plans other than to take the entire place in. Anyone with a limited time frame should give this place a miss, as should people who prefer a little more structure to their galleries." - Maresa Manara
