Elisa Bollazzi (2026)

In 2021, the Istituzione Bologna Musei found that the average time spent viewing a work of art is only four to five seconds, and that very few works hold visitors’ attention for more than 15 seconds.

Launched in 1990 by Elisa Bollazzi, the MicroCollection consists of a collection of fragments of installations, sculptures, and sometimes even paintings by contemporary artists. Today, it includes more than 2,500 microscopic items (fibers, splinters, and even accidents). Some of these fragments, inserted into microscope slides, are available for visitors to examine closely in her “viewing cabinet.”

Other fragments are used in “seedings” that the artist invites visitors to plant, accompanied by a label and personalized commentary. Thus, more than its interest in the object or its residues, the work of the MicroCollection lies in its ability to speak and make people talk about art, while offering a different way of seeing.

Invited as part of a dual residency program for artists and collectors in schools and digital creation, Elisa Bollazzi collaborates with sixth-grade arts students at the François d’Assise Nicolas Barré and Charles III schools. During her residency, she raises awareness of contemporary creation and mediation based on works from the MicroCollection. Her digital creation residency focuses on the NMNM collections, in line with her interest in the infinitely small.

This dual residency program is supported by the Department of Education, Youth and Sports, the Direction of Cultural Affairs, Extended Monaco, and SOGEDA (Society for the Management of Authors’ Rights).