FOROF, a cultural venue in Rome founded in 2022 by Giovanna Caruso Fendi, has opened within Palazzo del Gallo di Roccagiovine overlooking Trajan's Forum. The space is built around a specific archaeological site, preserving the largest surviving marble floor area of the Basilica Ulpia, and is legally constituted as a Società Benefit (benefit corporation) that reinvests revenues into its artistic program. The venue aims to foster contemporary art in dialogue with ancient history, with its underground rooms showcasing original colored marbles and column bases discovered during excavations funded by the Fondazione Alda Fendi Esperimenti.
This matters because FOROF represents a novel institutional model that blends archaeological stewardship with contemporary art exhibition, challenging traditional categories of foundation, gallery, or museum. By operating as a benefit corporation, it demonstrates a sustainable approach to cultural philanthropy that prioritizes social impact alongside economic activity. The venue's location within the Forum of Trajan—one of ancient Rome's most significant civic and commercial centers—creates a unique platform for contemporary artists to engage directly with millennia of layered history, potentially reshaping how audiences experience the relationship between antiquity and modern artistic practice.