- Today, “FIATCafé500” opens inside the Casa 500 museum in Turin, offering an immersive experience into the history of the FIAT icon and the Italian brand’s green future
- La Pista 500, the world’s most exclusive track where only electric cars can be tested and striking art exhibits curated by the Pinacoteca Agnelli, surrounds “FIATCafe500”
TURIN, 26 May 2022: “FIATCafé500” opens today inside the Casa 500—the museum dedicated to the FIAT icon, the 500, and located on the fourth floor of the Pinacoteca Agnelli. The café creates a new hospitality area where the 500’s history and design come together with the museum visitors’ personal experiences bringing the Italian dolce vita found in FIAT’s DNA.
The iconic Fiat 500 has fascinated artists from all over the world and been exhibited in the most prestigious museums of modern art such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA). Recently the timeless 500 was the muse of renowned artist-designer Ron Arad who, on the Shifting Vision art platform, presented his first “Reverse Again” auction of digital artworks, available to collectors in the form of Non Fungible Token (NFT) technology.
“The FIAT 500 is the icon of dolce vita, but there can be no dolce vita without conviviality, togetherness and in enjoying beautiful, unique and extraordinary places that have made history and continue to do so,” says Olivier Francois, FIAT CEO and Stellantis Global CMO. “For this reason, the Casa 500 museum, which looks to the future of the brand, while enhancing its roots, has evolved to create the new “FIATCafé500”, a place designed to welcome people who visit the Casa 500 museum to discover the brand’s vision of sustainable, responsible and electric mobility. And from its windows we can glimpse the exclusive La Pista 500, where the public can walk over the landscape surrounded by art and test drive the New 500, a symbol of joy and lightheartedness, of Italian design and Italian dolce vita.”
Dedicated to and inspired by the legendary Fiat 500, the project was commissioned by Pinacoteca Agnelli, as part of its new course, and curated by Studio lamatilde. “FIATCafé500” reflects an industrial approach, blending the architectural, archeological, industrial, artistic landscape and natural elements of the Lingotto’s roof. A metal body that becomes a convivial and immersive “cabin” with materials, images and memorabilia
which trace the storied past of FIAT’s prized jewel. The essence of the New 500 can be found in its combination of convivial style and cutting-edge technology.
The windows of the new “FIATCafé500” look out onto the stunning La Pista 500, which was inaugurated last September and is now part of the new renovation project on the historic site of Lingotto. Last century’s test track for FIAT’s vehicles today is an extraordinary construction which exhibits the concepts of ecology, energy savings, society and the arts.
FIAT is proud to support the Pinacoteca Agnelli in the creation of an ambitious outdoor art project. This impressive exhibition space and its series of artistic and environmental installations unexpectedly play off the architecture, landscape and symbols of one of Turin’s most emblematic sites. The first project on May 27th will present works of art from seven contemporary artists from around the world: Nina Beier, VALIE EXPORT, Sylvie Fleury, Shilpa Gupta, Louise Lawler, Mark Leckey and Cally Spooner.
La Pista 500 is a 28-metre-high green space with more than 40,000 plants deriving from over 300 different native species. FIAT’s reconversion project, which was designed by Camerana&Partners, includes a rooftop garden and exclusive track for test driving the New 500.
There will be also the “E-DRIVE SCHOOL”, a series of educational activities about electrical mobility which, thanks to the help of experts, will provide test drives and shed light on the new engines and their charging methods. More information and reservations are available at this link.