The 20th Century in 900 Seconds

For the anniversary of the Museo del '900, we created “Novecento,” an immersive site-specific video designed specifically for the new Orizzonti room. The film, made up of over 1900 video fragments, offers a concise, dense narrative meant to introduce visitors to the century that transformed the world.

The new Sala Orizzonti is an immersive, flexible space designed to host contemporary visual languages. Panoramic perimeter projections combine with central motorised projection screens that appear and disappear as needed. It's possible to activate only the perimeter, only the projection screens, or synchronize everything for a full 360° experience.

The 20th century was the century of acceleration: in transport, technology, communication, rights — but also in conflict. In just a few decades, we changed our skin, our roles and our horizons. Our challenge was to condense all of this into a coherent, engaging visual flow, able to convey the energy and contradictions of the era. The help of M9's curators was essential in navigating a century dominated by the technical reproduction of the image — and by the industry that gave it form and reach.

In Novecento the graphics don't whisper: they shout. We chose oversized, juxtaposed, raw text to mimic the energy of protest posters, militant flyers, and the rebellious typography of the '70s. Graphics that don't ask for attention — they demand it. A visual homage to political communication, to signs made to be seen from afar, to typefaces that seek impact rather than elegance.

The infographics, too, are neither decoration nor caption: they are a bodily experience, a tangible measure of the immeasurable. The visualization of the most significant data envelops the visitor in a visual synthesis with strong emotional impact. When numbers are too large to grasp, another scale is needed: that of the human body. With this in mind, we turned the infographics into an environment: the figures recounting the great wars, migrations, urban densities or the Anthropocene no longer live only on a screen but surround the viewer, forcing a kind of 'close encounter.' Because behind every number there is always a life. And behind every scale, an ethical choice.