Nuovo Spazio di Casso – Dolomiti Contemporanee

The Nuovo Spazio di Casso is an experimental centre dedicated to contemporary culture of the mountains and landscape. It acts as a territorial engine that, through visual arts and cultural regeneration, produces new imagery within the often stereotyped and uncritical context of the Dolomites–UNESCO area. Within the broader cultural strategy of Dolomiti Contemporanee—focused on reactivating exceptional yet dormant sites—the Spazio di Casso is particularly emblematic: few closures were as devastating as that caused by the Vajont disaster. Reflecting here on the role of art and culture therefore acquires profound significance.

The building once housed the village’s primary school, which was closed in 1963 after being damaged by the wave generated by the landslide that caused the Vajont tragedy. Completely restored by architect Valentino Stella, it has been transformed into a public space facing the imposing scar of Monte Toc, in close proximity to the Vajont Dam.

After nearly fifty years, the building was reopened in September 2012 by Dolomiti Contemporanee and has since become one of its main venues. Open to visitors from July to November, it also hosts activities throughout the year and supports platforms linked to the local area and its identity. Among these is the international art competition Two Calls for Vajont, active since 2014 and awarded a special mention by the Ministry of Culture in 2021 within the National Landscape Award / Council of Europe Landscape Prize.