Public access to museums
Università IULM actively provides public access to museums, exhibition spaces, art installations, galleries, works of art and artifacts and cultural events, reinforcing its commitment to creativity, cultural heritage, and community engagement.
This commitment is embedded in IULM's Strategic Plan 2025–2027, which explicitly recognises the university's campus as an institutional asset serving both the academic community and the city of Milan (p. 57), reflecting its broader commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability.
1. Museo Diffuso della Comunicazione: a permanent and freely accessible cultural infrastructure
A flagship initiative is the Museo Diffuso della Comunicazione, the first museum of communication in Italy, developed as a permanent and evolving project within the IULM campus.
The museum includes TAM TAM – Teatro delle Arti Mediali, an open-air cultural installation designed as a publicly accessible, permanent exhibition space dedicated to communication in its multiple forms.
Unlike traditional museums, the Museo Diffuso integrates cultural heritage directly into the university's architectural and urban environment, transforming the campus into a living museum accessible to students, citizens, schools and visitors.
More recently, the project expanded with La Linea del Tempo, a cultural pathway comprising 52 stages tracing the history of human communication, from ancient myths to the Renaissance.
This immersive and bilingual exhibition includes explanatory captions, images, scenographic installations and audiovisual content developed in collaboration with IULM students, who contributed to translations, video production and voiceovers.
La Linea del Tempo is freely accessible to individual visitors and school groups, with guided visits available upon reservation.
The initiative was supported through the Progetto Inclusione (PNRR, DM 752/2021), demonstrating IULM's commitment to developing cultural infrastructures that combine education, public accessibility and community engagement.
By transforming its campus into a permanent exhibition environment, IULM ensures that cultural experiences are not confined to traditional museums but become an integral part of everyday urban life.
2. A permanent open-air contemporary art collection
Complementing the Museo Diffuso, IULM has developed a permanent open-air contemporary art collection across its campus, transforming the university into a public sculpture park.
The collection includes works by internationally recognised artists, such as:
- Contatti Tenaglia (1970) by Giò Pomodoro, a bronze sculpture permanently displayed on campus.
- Porta d'oro (2009) by Marco Nereo Rotelli.
- Monumento all'Inferno (2018) by Emilio Isgrò.
- Time without end (2021) by MASBEDO.
These artworks are freely accessible to visitors and permanently displayed in the university's outdoor spaces, allowing members of the public to experience contemporary art without purchasing tickets or accessing a conventional museum.
The collection strengthens the relationship between artistic heritage, architecture and urban regeneration, contributing to the idea of the IULM campus as a territory of beauty and dialogue with the city.
By integrating works of art into publicly accessible spaces, the university promotes cultural participation and encourages interaction between the academic community and the wider public.
3. Temporary exhibitions in 2025: public access and measurable cultural participation
In addition to its permanent cultural collections, Università IULM regularly organises temporary exhibitions open to the public, providing opportunities to engage with photography, visual arts, cultural heritage and contemporary creative expression.
In 2025, three significant exhibitions demonstrated the university's commitment to making artistic and cultural experiences accessible to the wider community.
Il viaggio dell'anima – Graciela Iturbide
Dedicated to the work of internationally renowned Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, this exhibition offered visitors an opportunity to explore photographic narratives of identity, culture and human experience.
The exhibition attracted 1,326 visitors, demonstrating public interest in IULM's cultural programme.
I sensi del giallo: il corpo del reato tra inganno ed evidenza
This exhibition explored the relationship between perception, interpretation and representation through the cultural language of mystery and crime narratives.
It welcomed 704 visitors, including 310 IULM students and 394 external visitors.
The participation of external visitors provides particularly significant evidence of the university's ability to attract audiences beyond its academic community.
Dedicated to the cultural and artistic legacy of Leonardo da Vinci, this initiative provided visitors with an opportunity to engage with one of the most influential figures in the history of art and innovation.
The exhibition recorded 1,619 visitors, representing the highest attendance among the three initiatives.
Overall, these three exhibitions welcomed 3,649 visitors in 2025, demonstrating the university's contribution to public access to cultural heritage and artistic experiences.
Through these initiatives, IULM makes its exhibition spaces available to the wider community, supporting cultural participation, lifelong learning and the dissemination of artistic knowledge.
4. MuseoCity 2025: opening the university’s cultural heritage to the public
Università IULM further promotes public access to its artistic and cultural heritage by participating in major city-wide cultural initiatives.
A particularly significant example is MuseoCity 2025, an initiative dedicated to promoting access to museums, cultural institutions and artistic collections across Milan.
As part of the programme, IULM organised guided visits open to the public, offering participants the opportunity to discover the university's artistic installations, cultural spaces and permanent collections.
The initiative encouraged visitors to explore IULM's campus as a cultural destination, highlighting the presence of artworks and exhibition spaces within the university environment.
By participating in MuseoCity, IULM strengthened its integration into Milan's cultural network and demonstrated its commitment to making university heritage accessible to external audiences through dedicated public initiatives.
5. Milano Arch Week 2025: connecting cultural heritage and urban identity
IULM's commitment to public cultural engagement extends beyond its campus through initiatives that encourage exploration of the surrounding urban environment.
During Milano Arch Week 2025, the university promoted an urban tour of the Romolo neighbourhood, encouraging participants to discover the area's architectural identity, urban development and cultural characteristics.
The initiative provided an opportunity to explore the relationship between the university and its surrounding neighbourhood, promoting awareness of the cultural significance of urban spaces.
By encouraging public engagement with the city's architectural and cultural landscape, IULM contributes to the recognition, appreciation and accessibility of local urban heritage.
This initiative complements the university's permanent collections and temporary exhibitions by extending cultural experiences into the wider urban environment.
6. Easy MiG: promoting inclusive access to museum collections
Beyond providing physical access to museums and exhibitions, Università IULM is committed to reducing barriers to cultural participation and making museum experiences more inclusive.
A particularly significant initiative is Easy MiG, a project developed in collaboration with MUDEC – Museo delle Culture di Milano.
The initiative focuses on improving the accessibility of museum content and cultural experiences, helping make collections more understandable and engaging for diverse audiences.
Through its contribution to the project, IULM supports the development of inclusive approaches to museum communication and cultural interpretation, promoting access to artistic and cultural heritage for visitors with different needs and backgrounds.
Easy MiG demonstrates that IULM's commitment to cultural accessibility extends beyond the physical availability of exhibition spaces to include the accessibility of information, interpretation and visitor experiences.
By combining expertise in communication, cultural heritage and inclusive practices, the university contributes to reducing barriers that may prevent individuals from fully participating in museum activities.
7. Public cultural engagement and the university’s role in Milan
Università IULM's commitment to public access to museums and artistic heritage forms part of its broader mission to promote cultural participation and community engagement.
A significant example is IULM Design Week 2025, through which the university contributed to Milan's cultural and creative landscape, offering opportunities for public engagement with design, artistic expression and contemporary creativity.
By participating in this major city-wide cultural initiative, IULM strengthens the connection between its exhibition activities and Milan's wider artistic community, reinforcing the university's role as an accessible cultural institution that promotes dialogue between academic knowledge, creativity and the public.
8. Commitment to accessible cultural heritage and sustainable communities
Through its permanent Museo Diffuso della Comunicazione, open-air contemporary art collection, temporary exhibitions, participation in city-wide cultural programmes and projects promoting inclusive museum experiences, Università IULM demonstrates its commitment to providing public access to museums, galleries, works of art, cultural artefacts and exhibition spaces.
The 3,649 visitors recorded across three major exhibitions in 2025, together with the university's extensive programme of public cultural events, provide measurable evidence of its contribution to cultural participation.
Initiatives such as MuseoCity and Milano Arch Week strengthen connections between the university and the city's cultural heritage, while Easy MiG demonstrates IULM's commitment to making cultural experiences accessible to diverse audiences.
By combining free access to permanent artistic collections, public exhibitions, inclusive cultural communication and community engagement, Università IULM contributes directly to SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, promoting accessible cultural infrastructure, cultural heritage appreciation and inclusive participation in the artistic life of Milan.