Clarice Pecori Giraldi appointed executive member of APAA, first Italian woman in role

Italian art advisor Clarice Pecori Giraldi has been named executive member of the Association of Professional Art Advisors (APAA), becoming the first Italian and first woman to hold executive responsibility for Italy in the nonprofit organization founded in 1980. APAA operates in the USA, Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, and since October 2023, Italy. Pecori Giraldi, with prior leadership roles at Christie's, Phillips, and as Vice President of Triennale Milano, founded her own art advisory firm in 2017. She also serves on the board of Fondazione San Patrignano, coordinating its art collection, and has worked with Fondazione Elpis, Associazione Genesi, and the Antognini Pasquinelli donation to Museo del Novecento. She sits on the steering committee of Museo Bagatti Valsecchi. In an interview, she highlighted dilettantism as a major challenge, citing recent articles on unqualified advisors and the Yves Bouvier-Rybolovlev legal case. She distinguishes true advisors from 'passa-quadri' (picture-pushers). APAA enforces a code of ethics to promote market transparency. Pecori Giraldi notes that in Italy, advisors often also act as registrars and collection managers due to a less dynamic market compared to the US.