ADAC

Archive of Trentino Contemporary Artists

The Archive of Trentino Contemporary Artists (ADAC) aims to promote the artists listed by way of a monographic series, a programme of exhibitions hosted at the Galleria Civica, awards, and residencies.  It also guarantees the preservation and availability of accurate and constantly updated documentation.

ADAC's history began in the 1980s when the contemporary art section of the Museo Provinciale of Buonconsiglio Castle, which at the time was housed in Palazzo delle Albere, was turned into a new independent museum: Mart.

ADAC, an innovative initiative, formalised the close relation required between the Museum and the local art scene, which had heavily mobilised for the foundation of the former through the Artists' Union. ADAC is a dynamic, evolving collection of documentation, open to artists, both professional and non-professional, who live or work within the Autonomous Province of Trento. Its purpose is to collect, preserve and make documentation such as photographic and bibliographic material, monographs, catalogues, press clippings, interviews, videos, and correspondence available to professionals, researchers and enthusiasts.

Among the people who were central to the conception and initial management of ADAC were Gabriella Belli, founder and first director of the Mart, and Diego Mazzonelli, artist, philosophy teacher, secretary of the Trentino section of the Artists’ Union, and member of the Museum's first Board of Directors.

Over the years, the ADAC has become an essential resource for initiatives that highlight local artistic production. A significant cycle of exhibitions was the one dedicated to the masters of Trentino art, held between 1992 and 1998 at Palazzo delle Albere and accompanied by the publication of 30 short monographs called "Quaderni Archivio di Documentazione Arte Contemporanea" [Contemporary Art Documentation Archive Notebooks]. 

After its significant contribution to the exhibition "Situazioni Arte in Trentino 2003" [Situations. Trentino Art 2003] at Mart's new premises in Rovereto, ADAC’s work slowed down temporarily until 2010, when it became the focus of a revival.

In 2013, Mart was appointed by the Province of Trento to manage the city’s Galleria Civica; it decided to make the latter the seat of ADAC, in order to create a centre for the study of contemporary art languages. The Galleria Civica thus became a point of intersection between the local art scene and national and international trends.
In 2017, the Collana ADAC (ADAC Series) was revived with a totally new editorial mission, which evolved from 'Documentation Notebook' to full-fledged monographs.

ADAC is currently focused on a development project that aims to promote the activity, knowledge and study of Trentino artists and to record data on those not yet listed, with an emphasis on the younger generation. At the same time, the Archive is being modernised through the digitalisation of its extensive holdings.

ADAC is increasingly becoming a link between Mart, artists, the region, cultural associations, and art lovers. The number of artists listed in the Archive continues to grow thanks to strategic promotion and dissemination activities. To date it includes over 600 artists, from masters of Trentino art to young, emerging artists.

Information

The ADAC is located at the Galleria Civica in via Belenzani 44, Trento

Contacts

ADAC
adac@mart.tn.it
Gabriele Lorenzoni
g.lorenzoni@mart.tn.it
T. +39 0464 454161

Opening times

By appointment

List of artists featured in the ADAC