As part of the project for the refurbishment and reopening of the museum complex, Harald Szeemann's Mammelle della verità exhibition is being treated as an artistic installation. It is therefore being reassembled with the utmost respect for the original intentions of the curator, while adhering to the principles of cultural heritage conservation. Szeemann's exhibition, which was devised as a travelling show, is being restaged in such a way as to retain its "mobile" nature.
In preparation for this refurbishment operation, the 975 objects on display in Casa Anatta were catalogued in a database with detailed descriptions. During the preparation for the Montevisione project, the objects were subdivided into various categories, each of which will be handled with specific measures. The architectural renovation is being overseen by architects Carlo Zanetti and Gabriele Geronzi.
An exhibition to complement Szeemann's installation is mounted in the free spaces available in Casa Anatta, Casa Selma, Casa dei Russi and the Elisarion. This exhibition is a supplement and explore Szeemann's display, and provide details about Szeemann himself. It act as an introduction and accompaniment given that Szeemann's installation, with its dense collection of materials, could prove intimidating for first-time visitors who know little or nothing about the subject matter. This additional exhibition must make clear to its audience why an exhibition from 1981 is being remounted in 2017.
The additional exhibition features a modern style which is completely different from that used by Szeemann, so as to avoid any confusion between the two. Screens, audio stations and multimedia presentations of documents creates a contrast to Szeemann's installation, providing a context for it and highlighting different elements. Given the exceptional wealth of materials in Szeemann's exhibition, only a small number of original objects is displayed in cases; instead, the emphasis is multimedia elements.
