Made in Cloister: contemporary art in the ancient heart of Naples
Just a few steps from Porta Capuana, where the urban flow becomes dense and layered, an unexpected place opens up: a 17th-century cloister reborn as a space for contemporary art and international design. This is Made in Cloister, one of the most significant cultural regeneration projects in Naples, where history merges with vision, and dialogue with the outside world intertwines with local identity.
A cloister brought back to life
The cloister once belonged to the former Convent of Santa Caterina a Formiello. After years of abandonment, it was restored thanks to a visionary grassroots project supported by both public and private funding.
The intervention preserved the historic soul of the building, enhancing its piperno arches and baroque details, while transforming it into a fluid, open, contemporary space.
A bridge between craftsmanship and global art
Made in Cloister’s mission is clear: to connect contemporary art with Neapolitan artisanal traditions, generating encounters, cross-contaminations, and new narratives. The space hosts site-specific installations commissioned from internationally renowned artists—such as Tatsuo Miyajima, Jan Fabre, Liu Jianhua, and Paul Thorel—who collaborate with local artisans to create unique works designed specifically for the space and its context.
Culture that regenerates a neighborhood
Made in Cloister is not just an exhibition venue; it’s an urban-impact project. The cloister has become a community hub, hosting concerts, workshops, markets, children's labs, and social initiatives. In a fragile area like Porta Capuana, it has reignited energy, attention, and a sense of belonging. Here, art is neither distant nor elitist—it is tangible, accessible, transformative.
A Naples that creates beauty in the heart of its wounds
Made in Cloister represents one of the most authentic faces of contemporary Naples: a city that doesn’t erase its past but projects it into the present with creative force. Visiting this place means experiencing an intense journey where architecture, light, matter, and vision blend into a powerful story.
A story that, as always in Naples, starts from within—and reaches far beyond.
