What is the Frattini Bivouac?

The Frattini Bivouac is a remote cultural outpost opened last autumn by Bergamo's GAMeC gallery as part of its "Thinking Like a Mountain" experiment, located at an altitude of 7,546ft in the Italian Alps.

What is the purpose of the "Thinking Like a Mountain" project?

According to GAMeC director Lorenzo Giusti, the premise of the project is that curating can be a form of geological thinking - slow, durational, and attuned to forces larger than the human. The Frattini Bivouac represents the project's most distilled iteration, where the museum has left the museum entirely.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Frattini Bivouac: A Radical Outpost Challenges Curatorial Norms at 7,546ft

Frattini Bivouac: A Radical Outpost Challenges Curatorial Norms at 7,546ft

Q: How does the Frattini Bivouac challenge traditional museums?

Unlike a typical gallery, the Frattini Bivouac has no art inside, only temperature, silence, and altitude. Visitors must undertake a grueling 6-8 hour hike to reach the remote site, which is accessible only to a small portion of the public.

17 Nov

•

Summary

Frattini Bivouac, Italy's newest and most remote cultural outpost, opened last autumn
The bivouac is part of Bergamo's GAMeC gallery's 2-year experiment to 'think like a mountain'
The austere shelter has no art inside, only temperature, silence, and altitude

Frattini Bivouac: A Radical Outpost Challenges Curatorial Norms at 7,546ft

Last autumn, Bergamo's Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GAMeC) opened the Frattini Bivouac, Italy's newest and most remote cultural outpost, as the final chapter of its two-year experiment in "Thinking Like a Mountain". Located at an altitude of 7,546ft in the Italian Alps, the Frattini Bivouac is a radical departure from the traditional museum experience.

The austere shelter, designed by Turin-based Studio EX with the Italian Alpine Club, stands on a high ridge in the municipality of Valbondione. Unlike a typical gallery, the bivouac has no art inside, only temperature, silence, and altitude. Visitors must undertake a grueling 6-8 hour hike to reach the remote site, which is accessible only to a small portion of the public.