Balestrini Heirs Demand Work Withdrawal from Futurism Show at GNAM/C

The heirs of Nanni Balestrini, including the Fondazione Balestrini and curator Marco Scotini, have demanded the removal of Balestrini's work from the exhibition "Il Tempo del Futurismo" at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAM/C) in Rome. The foundation learned of the inclusion only days before the opening, via a WhatsApp message from writer Rossana Campo, Balestrini's partner. The work, a collage from the series "Non capiterà mai più" (late 1960s–early 1970s), was lent by Museion in Bolzano without the foundation's knowledge or consent. Scotini criticizes the exhibition as populist and politically motivated, aiming to legitimize the cultural roots of the current right-wing government. He notes that the work was displayed incomplete, missing 12 plates from the Archivio di Nuova Scrittura donation. The foundation has publicly dissociated itself via Instagram and is invoking moral rights to demand the work's return. The exhibition, curated by Gabriele Simongini and promoted by the previous Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, has faced prior controversy. Scotini draws parallels to historical censorship and political interference in culture, citing Balestrini's own seven-year exile for his opposition. The situation remains unresolved, with no response from the organizers.