Palazzo Riso

The Palazzo Riso, officially known as RISO, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia (Contemporary Art Museum of Sicily) and alternatively as Palazzo Belmonte Riso, is a regional contemporary art museum located on the ancient Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo, Italy. Inaugurated in 2008, it serves as one of the most important exhibition spaces in the region, providing a permanent headquarters for modern and contemporary art in Palermo. The museum promotes and diffuses contemporary art in Sicily through its permanent collection and intensive exhibition activity, creating a dynamic cultural center that juxtaposes avant-garde works within a restored eighteenth-century noble residence.

The building was constructed at the end of the eighteenth century for the Prince of Belmonte, Giuseppe Emanuele Ventimiglia, and completed in 1784. During the nineteenth century, specifically around 1841, ownership passed to the Riso family. During World War II, the structure suffered severe damage from Allied bombing, causing a partial collapse and leading to years of abandonment. Restoration efforts began in the mid-1990s, and by 2005 the site was designated to house the Museum of Contemporary Art of Sicily. Museum installation work commenced in 2008, equipping the building with additional services like a cafeteria and bookshop, officially opening its doors as a contemporary art museum that same year.

The museum's permanent collection showcases a wide range of modern and contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on Sicilian artists. It provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary artistic practices by combining the works of established international figures with significant local voices. The institution actively supports young artists and promotes the region's cultural heritage. To further this mission, the museum established the SACS (Sportello per l'Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, or Contemporary Art Desk of Sicily) at its opening, an archive that preserves and safeguards the memory of Sicilian artists' activities in paper, digital, and multimedia formats, with materials available both online and in person. A dedicated SACS Gallery was subsequently instituted within the museum in 2010.

The permanent collection comprises works by a diverse array of contemporary artists. International and prominent figures represented include Giovanni Anselmo, Christian Boltanski, Pietro Consagra, Jannis Kounellis, Richard Long, and Paola Pivi. The holdings are particularly strong in Sicilian art, featuring works by Carla Accardi, Alessandro Bazan, Fulvio Di Piazza, Emilio Isgrò, Domenico Mangano, Laboratorio Saccardi, Antonio Sanfilippo, Croce Taravella, Luca Vitone, and Salvo. Additional artists in the collection include Andrea Di Marco, Francesco De Grandi, Francesco Maria Romano, Francesco Simeti, Giulia Piscitelli, Sebastiano Mortellaro, Stefania Artusi, Stefano Cumia, Sergio Zavattieri, and Richard T. Scott.

Designed by the architect Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia, the architecture of Palazzo Belmonte Riso exemplifies the transition from late Sicilian Baroque magnificence to Neoclassical rigor. The palace features Neoclassical sculptures on its central balcony. Over the main entrance portal sits a marble coat of arms belonging to the Riso family, carved by the sculptor Ignazio Marabitti. The restoration of the building was thoughtfully planned to utilize the entire grounds, allowing artworks to be displayed both indoors and outdoors. Inside, the museum is characterized by two twin levels dedicated to the collection and temporary exhibitions, including wide rooms where ancient, scraped walls are left exposed without modern panels, creating a direct dialogue between the historic architecture and the contemporary works.

Palazzo Riso is located at Via Vittorio Emanuele 365 in the historic center of Palermo, situated directly across from Piazza Bologni. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 9:00 am and 6:30 pm, and on Sundays and holidays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, with the last entry permitted half an hour before closing. It remains closed on Mondays. The site is wheelchair accessible. Visitors can reach the museum by walking from Palermo Central Station, proceeding along Via Roma to the intersection with Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and then turning left for approximately 400 meters. The museum complex includes a cafe with Wi-Fi, a bookshop, a didactic room, and a foresteria, and it hosts an interdisciplinary program of music, theater, conferences, and vernissages. It also operates as part of a broader institutional network that includes the Museo d'Aumale in Terrasini, the Castello Medievale di Caccamo, the Cappella dell'Incoronata, and the Real Albergo delle Povere.