Abstract

This paper aims at exploring the potential of cultural design to create connections among a special kind of “open air art” and opportunities for the territory in terms of economic (cultural tourism) and cultural development (creative identity). With the experimental linguistic expression “park-art-centre” we mean those places with art works immerse in the nature: 1.contemporary art museums with a part of exhibition outdoor (permanent or temporary); 2. permanent contemporary art exhibitions in the landscape (in a specific part of the delimited territory; 3.cultural temporary artistic (events in no-urban place). Some questions emerge such as: How can design contribute through communication systems and exhibit displays? How can design contribute through a strategic framework and a product-service-system approach? How does the synergy between the expressive artistic approach and the interpretative design approach happen in the park-art-center context? This paper proposes a critical analysis focused on case studies about park-art-centers in which the relationship between nature and art is representative of a cultural attitude. The criteria of choice will be: the close relationship between art and nature, the representatively of the identity of the territory, and the relevant presence of contemporary art. We assume every case as a paradigm of intervention. “The Garden of Eden”: pavilions and art installations are immersed in a fantastic botanic garden (i.e. Inhotim, Contemporary Art Institute and Botanic Garden, Brazil);“The Widespread Art”: the territory is sprinkled with artworks integrated into the nature (i.e. Arte Sella, Italy); “The Thematic Wonderland”: parks/museums by artists made as gesamtkunstwerk populated by fantastic characters and thematic installations (i.e. Giardino dei Tarocchi and Giardino di Daniel Spoerri, Tuscany, Italy).