Italy may say goodbye to the Museum of Modern Art

Many Italian museums are in serious crisis due to a significant budget cut in the field of culture. The latter case is the serious problems faced by the XXI century Roman Museum of Modern Art, Maxxi. It was opened a little more than two years ago and its leadership makes serious accusations against the Minister of Cultural Property of Italy.

The museum did not receive the promised eleven million euros for the period 2012-2014 due to the fact that, according to the Ministry, they themselves have a “hole” in their own financing. The key to solving the problem, according to the museum’s directorate, lies in the plane of private and institutional sponsors, who today do not have worthy preferences from the state.

The 21st Century Contemporary Art Museum in Rome, designed by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, was opened in November 2009 and is the first national public museum dedicated to contemporary art. It is managed by the Maxxi Foundation under the direction of architect Pio Baldi. He proudly claims that the new exhibition center has undoubted success with the public: 450,000 visitors only in 2011 with self-financing in the amount of 50%, despite a reduction in state funding by 43% compared to 2010.

Many people think that Maxxi works well because “self-financing of half the budget is unprecedented in Italy,” according to Rocco Buttiglione, the former Minister of Culture and the president of the UDC centrist party, who is opposed to the ministry’s decision to appoint a museum commissioner.

The problem of replenishment of Maxxi accounts would be solved by institutional and private sponsors. The potential of museums is great in this aspect, but the problem is that in Italy there is no, like in other countries, policies promoting such sponsorship with a significant tax exemption.