Bio / presentation

L’Asilo, also known as Ex Asilo Filangieri, is a self-managed cultural center in Naples, Italy, focused on performing arts, visual arts, and collective experimentation. Located in a historic building reclaimed by artists and cultural workers after years of abandonment, L’Asilo has operated since 2015 under a groundbreaking legal model: urban civic and collective use, officially recognized by the City of Naples. This framework allows for direct community management of the space as a commons, without the need to form an association or foundation. L’Asilo hosts residencies, concerts, theater performances, debates, workshops, and exhibitions, all organized through participatory processes and decisions made in open assemblies. The center also serves as a political and legal laboratory that advocates for cultural rights and democratic governance of public resources. Its model has been replicated in other Italian cities, making L’Asilo a European reference for culture, autonomy, and grassroots co-governance.