Cristiana Collu Reflects on Eight Years Leading Galleria Nazionale di Roma

Cristiana Collu, medieval art historian and director of Galleria Nazionale di Roma from 2016 to 2023, discusses her tenure in an interview with Artribune. Previously directing MAN Nuoro (1996–2012) and Mart Trento e Rovereto (2013–14), Collu transformed the museum into a youth hub, doubling visitor numbers. She emphasizes language, respect, and convergence as keys to lowering the average age of the audience. Her end-of-term report is titled 'Fact Not Fiction,' though she still believes 'Action Speaks Louder' and adds 'Pump Up the Volume.' Collu advocates for courage in museum development, noting trends as variations on a theme that require changing melody, articulation, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre, dynamics, and formal organization, citing Ornette Coleman's 'Something Else!!!' (1958) as inspiration. She remains open to future projects and considers home wherever she is.