2023-12-15 22:44:00
by PAOLO CONTI
The choices of Minister Sangiuliano. Renata Cristina Mazzantini at the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, Angelo Crespi in Brera
Great shuffling of papers at the top of the most prestigious Italian museums. The Ministry of Culture made official on Friday evening, 15 December, the results of the international selection according to the rules of the Franceschini law.
Let’s start from the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome. The direction goes to Renata Cristina Mazzantini who oversaw the successful Quirinale Contemporaneo project: consultant to the general secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic for art and architecture. The final trio also included Micol Forti, head of the contemporary collection of the Vatican Museums, and Bartolomeo Pietromarchi, head of Maxxi Arte. Simone Verde arrives at the Uffizi, leaving the Pilotta Complex in Parma, which underwent a profound overhaul under his guidance, with the reopening of spaces that had been closed for years. Verde is responsible for scientific research and publications for the AFM/Louvre in Abu Dhabi. The trio included Edith Gabrielli, current director of the Vive Vittoriano-Palazzo Venezia in Rome, and Paola d’Agostino, head of the Bargello Museums.
The fresh former director of the Uffizi, Eike Dieter Schmidt (from 27 November naturalized Italian citizen, not eligible for re-election in Florence after two terms) arrives at the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples, provided that he does not accept a possible candidacy from the centre-right as mayor of Florence, an eventuality which is being talked about more and more insistently. Also appearing in the trio were Marco Pierini, recently former director of the National Gallery of Umbria, and Cecile Hedwig Matilde Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence.
Another place of utmost importance is the Pinacoteca di Brera which will be led by Angelo Crespi, now president of the Maga Museum of Gallarate, scientific director and president of Valore Italia-Botticino Restoration School, board member of the Adi Foundation-Compasso d’Oro collection . Since last July he has been appointed member of the scientific committee of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, and was also advisor to the then minister Sandro Bondi from 2008 to 2011. The group included Verde himself and Beatrice Bentivoglio-Ravasio, former superintendent for Biella, Novara, Verbania and Vercelli.
So far the first level appointments, i.e. those for the main museums: the law provides that the name, in the final list, is chosen directly by the minister. Illustrious absences are striking, even in the same groups. Cristiana Collu leaves the scene, after having directed the National Gallery of Modern Art, and also Flaminia Gennari Santori, who signed a complete and appreciated revision of the National Galleries of Ancient Art – Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini in Rome. Another excellent candidate, Matteo Lafranconi, today director of the Scuderie del Quirinale (where he will obviously remain), does not get a new position.
And here we are with the second tier appointments. The Franceschini law entrusts the general director of Museums, namely Massimo Osanna, with the power of appointment among the trio. The National Museum of Abruzzo (a very significant place on a symbolic level, given the difficult area devastated by the earthquake) will be led by Federica Zalabra: she was its interim director for a long time and coordinated a complex project to valorise the assets preserved in the warehouses of Italian museums. Among the trio were Cristina Collettini, Superintendent of Architecture, Fine Arts and Landscape in Chieti-time.news, and Mirella Serlorenzi, archaeologist, highly regarded director of the Baths of Caracalla complex in Rome. Real new entry at the National Gallery of Umbria with the appointment of Costantino D’Orazio, art historian official at the Municipal Superintendency of Rome, curator of exhibitions of ancient and contemporary art (for example the Back To Nature exhibition in the park of Villa Borghese ). Also in the group are Elena Rita Trunfio, who leads the Archaeological Park of Bova Marina, and Stella Falzone, staff scientist of the Academy of Sciences of Vienna (as we will see, she has won the leadership of the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto).
The Englishman Thomas Clement Salomon arrives at the National Galleries of Ancient Art Palazzo Barberini-Galleria Corsini in Rome, museologist but also jurist, co-curator of the recent exhibition on El Greco at Palazzo Reale in Milan, author of projects for the Galleria Borghese in Rome , scientific director of the MoMo-Skyra group (his brother directs the Frick Collection in New York). In the group Maria Cristina Terzaghi, professor of history of modern art at Roma Tre, and Cinzia Ammannato, curator at the National Galleries of Ancient Art in Rome. Alessandra Necci will lead the Estensi Galleries: a name known in the publishing world for the historical-biographical monographs dedicated to Isabella d’Este, Maria Teresa of Austria and others. Today he is a professor in the Business and Management Department of Luiss Guido Carli University. Also among the trio were Giovanni Sassu, now in Ferrara at the Museums of Ancient Art, and again Paola D’Agostino. Finally, Stella Falzone, archaeologist and staff scientist of the Vienna Academy of Sciences, was chosen for the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto: therefore, we note the return of an Italian talent from abroad. Also among the trio were Anita Guarnieri, superintendent of Barletta-Andria-Trani-Foggia, and Luigina Tomay, superintendent of Basilicata.
While many were betting on the arrival of Crespi at Brera and Schmidt at Capodimonte, especially in the last few days, the other appointments do not appear to be obvious or announced (Verde at the Uffizi, Salomon at the National Galleries of Ancient Art). But above all it will be some excellent exclusions, after years of work in important national museums, that will cause discussion.
December 15, 2023 (changed December 15, 2023 | 9:50 pm)
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