Costantino D’Orazio is the new General Director of Contemporary Creativity at MiC

Art historian Costantino D’Orazio has been appointed head of the General Directorate for Contemporary Creativity at the Ministry of Culture, effective today. The Roman art historian and television personality succeeds Angelo Piero Cappello, who is stepping down from the directorship but will continue to work within the Ministry of Culture, leading the Task Force for Cultural Cooperation with Africa and the Broader Mediterranean.

D’Orazio thus becomes director of a central division of the Ministry of Culture, part of the Department of Cultural Activities and dedicated to promoting and supporting contemporary art and architecture in all their forms. Its scope of responsibility also includes photography, video art, design, and fashion, as well as architectural and urban planning quality, with a coordinating role in public policies aimed at the cultural and creative industries and urban regeneration processes. The Directorate-General also performs strategic functions related to the international promotion of Italian creativity, including in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and is responsible for supporting research and emerging talent in the fields of visual arts and architecture. Its institutional tasks also include promoting awareness of contemporary Italian cultural production abroad and supporting cultural and creative enterprises through dedicated support tools and programs.

Another key area of activity concerns urban regeneration and the quality of architectural and urban planning projects, through initiatives, agreements, and collaborations with public and private entities, universities, and local governments. The Directorate also participates in the management of and provides consultation on public works, with particular attention to their cultural and landscape quality, and oversees works of art in public buildings in accordance with current regulations.

Among its most significant functions are the management of the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale’s international art and architecture exhibitions, the promotion of the Plan for Contemporary Art as required by national law, and the development of the Strategic Plan for the advancement of photography in Italy and abroad. The Directorate also coordinates training and research initiatives in collaboration with universities and local institutions, and promotes awareness of contemporary culture through programs dedicated to design, fashion, and the visual arts.

Within the scope of its administrative responsibilities, the Directorate also acts as a contracting authority in accordance with the Public Contracts Code, provides technical and scientific support to ministerial offices, and coordinates with regions and local authorities on cultural development and urban regeneration programs, including those involving European funds. It is also responsible for promoting the cultural and creative industries and for coordinating the National Desk of the Creative Europe program.

Costantino D’Orazio, born in Rome on June 1, 1974, is an art historian and essayist. Since January 2024, he has served as director of the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia, a position he assumed following Marco Pierini’s tenure, which Pierini is therefore leaving early to join the General Directorate for Contemporary Creativity. Previously, he gained experience as a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome (MACRO) between 2015 and 2018.

He completed his education in Rome, where he first attended the “Goffredo Mameli” Classical High School and later the “Terenzio Mamiani” Classical High School. He then continued his studies at the Faculty of Letters at “La Sapienza” University, earning a degree in Contemporary Art History with a thesis dedicated to the work of photographers Claudio Abate, Elisabetta Catalano, and Ugo Mulas. D’Orazio’s work as a critic and curator began in the late 1990s, when, in 1998, he co-founded the Futuro Cultural Association with Ludovico Pratesi, through which he promotes contemporary art exhibitions and initiatives. Between 2020 and 2021 , he curated the exhibition “Back to Nature: Contemporary Art at Villa Borghese,” which featured installations by contemporary artists within the Roman park. D’Orazio is best known to the public for his television and radio appearances: he has worked for many years at RAI, where he has discussed art on programs such as *Geo&Geo*, *#staiserena*, *Unomattina*, and *Linea Verde*. Since 2014, he has hosted the segment “AR – Frammenti d’Arte” on Rainews24, and from 2015 to 2019, he hosted the radio program “Bella Davvero” on Radio2.

Costantino D’Orazio is the new General Director of Contemporary Creativity at MiC

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