Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell’Amore

MEET

MEET Digital Culture Center is the first International Center for Digital Art and Culture in Italy. It was founded in Milan in 2018 by Maria Grazia Mattei, with the support of Fondazione Cariplo, with the goal of bridging the Italian digital divide and fostering the development of a new awareness of technology as a resource for individual creativity and the well-being of society as a whole.

Through the promotion of international initiatives held in immersive spaces that help shape the contemporary technological landscape, the Center today represents not only a cultural venue but a true catalyst for projects, where it is possible to experience digital immersion through the exploration of new languages.

Today, MEET is a hub of culture thanks to its ongoing activities and the heritage that is part of its archive “Le Radici del Nuovo” (“The Roots of the New”), as well as its extensive catalog of Virtual Reality works.

The MEET program develops along three main lines:

  • MEET the Nature – a focus on the relationship between humans and nature;

  • AI Plus and Immersive Realities – new languages and research exploring the creative potential of AI and immersive technologies;

  • Digital Literacy – promoting conscious and informed use of digital tools.

As of today, MEET can count on the support of the Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell’Amore (or “FSVGDA”) – the strategic and operational arm of Fondazione Cariplo in the field of impact investing – which has acquired a 20% stake in Meet Digital Communication S.r.l., the managing entity of the MEET Digital Culture Center, with the aim of further strengthening the cultural impact of the initiative.

Impact

Italy registers a low level of digital human capital, and in this context, MEET aims to create a space for education and knowledge sharing to guide the country’s digital transition. It does so by developing a rich program of education, research, and events, both private and open to the public. Today, MEET is a physical and virtual space for the production and dissemination of events, exhibitions, masterclasses, and digital experiences aimed at both the Lombardy region and the national level. At the same time, it serves as Italy’s hub in a global network active across Europe and the rest of the world, promoting the exchange, sharing, and development of innovative projects with national and international partners that share its values, goals, and experiences.

The Center spans 1,500 square meters across three levels, located in Piazza Oberdan (Porta Venezia area) in Milan. The space was designed by Carlo Ratti Associati, who reinterpreted it starting from the concept of a digital culture center, focusing on the ideas of fluidity, interconnection, and participation.

The beating heart of MEET is the ongoing Meet the Media Guru series – a cycle of talks featuring leading global figures in innovation. These individuals, along with institutions, universities, research centers, and international digital art and culture hubs, make up the network within which MEET operates and for which it promotes cultural and artistic initiatives, also through the experimentation of new languages and site-specific immersive works with both Italian and international artists and creatives.

Since November 2023, MEET has been officially recognized as a museum by the Lombardy Region. Since then, its permanent archive, “Le Radici del Nuovo” (“The Roots of the New”), has been made available to the public, offering a meeting point between past and present, with the goal of fostering a new awareness of the ongoing digital transition.

Foundation year
2018
Legal status
S.r.l.
Site
Milan
Sector
Digital innovation in art
In portfolio since
2025
Investment
€60,000
Type of investment
Equity
Website: www.meetcenter.it