Alda Fendi Plans 24/7 Rome Museum, Defends Sgarbi's Biennale Pavilion

Alda Fendi, the youngest of the five Fendi sisters and a prominent collector of Jannis Kounellis, has announced plans for a new 5,000-square-meter museum in Rome, located between the Arch of Janus and the Bocca della Verità in the Forum Boarium. The project, named Alda Fendi Esperimenti, will be designed by international starchitects (still unnamed) and is expected to be completed within two years. The museum will operate 24/7, featuring spaces for artists, artisans, designers, and theater companies, as well as affordable residencies for young artists and a rooftop terrace. Fendi has structured her foundation to ensure funding for 120 years, covering five generations. In an interview with Artribune, Fendi addressed criticism from Vittorio Sgarbi, who had called Kounellis's work at the 2011 Venice Biennale 'ugly.' Fendi defended Sgarbi's right to critique but agreed with his attack on fashion figures exploiting artists for commercial gain. She stated that she left the fashion world ten years ago to promote art without profit motives. Fendi also criticized Italy's political class for neglecting culture and described the Maxxi museum as 'already old in its conception.' She praised Sgarbi as 'original, tireless, direct, energetic' and noted his recent shift to viewing all art as contemporary.