“Heading a public institution in Italy means finding a precarious balance between sustainability and scientific requirements – explains Maraniello-. Ensuring project continuity is the first task to undertake in order to be known from a cultural point of view and by a particular audience. ”
How was cooperation with AMACI established and what prospects can this network open up?
The Modern Art Gallery in Bologna (now known as MAMbo) is one of the founders of AMACI which was gradually joined by other museums and contemporary art centers. Their coming together has resulted in a very interesting, much wider than expected, mapping of activities and institutional bodies relating to this particular field. AMACI has made a proposal regarding an important opportunity to promote and divulge these bodies, thereby creating the conditions that will facilitate cultural projects and specific administrative issues which can no longer be neglected by our political representatives. The risk is not to understand that contemporary art should be considered within the more general research field and not only as a chance for tourism. It is clearly absurd that one should put up with the way laws are made without distinction as to the VAT, resale rights, SIAE rights and so forth. In order for all this to become evident, one should be more familiar with the proposals made by museums: this is the greatest merit of initiatives such as “The Day of Contemporary Art”, which involves several field operators, in various roles, in the process of meeting with the public.
The creation of an ambitious project such as a museum causes several obstacles, especially in social situations such as ours. What were and what are the main difficulties you had to face?
In addition to technical-administrative difficulties, the main problems are a general lack of sensitivity toward and knowledge of the subject matter and lack of an authoritative journalism representing “public opinion”. Let’s start with the well established fact that there is no real popular interest for contemporary art and that research is not considered a priority in our Country. Under these circumstances, contemporary art is a phenomenon that is observed in a dangerous general way, that can draw attention only if displayed in areas outside the research field, relating to show business and economy. Heading a public institution in Italy means finding a precarious balance between sustainability and scientific requirements which, unfortunately, nowadays are supported with a permanent logic defending what is intended to be cultural value but which is not based on any real foundation.
What role has politics generally played and is playing within the mechanism of the Italian museum system?
The minority nature of museum culture calls for a complete subjection to politics. The institutions perform their duties well when politicians take care of them by delegating tasks; however, this principle is always revocable and, based on what I stated earlier, there is no possible defense from any possible interference. In short, one works in an efficient manner only by “courtesy” of the politicians.
What projects do you have in store?
MAMBo was only founded in 2007 and must still confirm its own identity. Ensuring project continuity is the first task to undertake in order to be known from a cultural point of view and by a particular audience, and to be recognized for the sustainability guaranteed by various entities that help reach , also economically, a position in the cultural world. We obviously have to improve what is proposed to us in view of the ever changing operating conditions and, in our case, we plan on providing more space to the fields in which we excel, primarily didactics and research. The Terna Prize 02 intends to match company’s best practices with the cultural ones, thereby favoring reflection on the need to look to the future of the planet paying attention to the environment and the energy in a responsible manner.
In your opinion is it an attainable goal and is art nowadays still able to favor a greater critical awareness?
We are also working in this direction because we are convinced that art can be a critical factor but this does not mean reducing its practice to didactic tasks neither assuming that it can produce a production shock all by itself. This would still be the logic of the media society which can count on more effective means but which does not always deal with quality production. Culture is, instead, the reason of quality, which is available but not necessarily intended to find an audience. In any case, it is not a question of being optimistic or not, but of reasoning “as if” and persisting in the attempt to assert these principles in a period marked by a serious crisis.
MAMBo – Modern Art Gallery in Bologna
With its three exhibition centers (MAMBo’s main center on Via Don Minzoni, Villa delle Rose and the Morandi Museum) and with a heritage of over 3,500 works of modern and contemporary art, the Modern Art Gallery of Bologna, inaugurated in 2007, is one of the most important museums in the city. In its three centers, the Gallery occasionally organizes temporary solo and collective exhibitions as well as musical events, shows, films, and meetings with artists. In particular, MAMBo houses a collection of sculptures and paintings ranging from the 19th century to the present, with special emphasis on the Italian art trends of the second post-war period, and includes artworks by Francesco Hayez, Renato Guttuso, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Giorgio Morandi. A museum dedicated to Morandi (the Morandi Museum) is located in the Gallery off-site center in the d’Accursio Palace. MAMBo’s goal is to integrate research and experimentation with the importance and quality of a precious collection. A specific area is devoted to this collection to allow a conscious and critical revisiting of the Gallery’s artistic heritage, with special emphasis on the history and culture of the territory to which Bologna belongs and on its great artistic tradition.
2009-10-07
