Farnesina Director Vincenzo De Luca on Italy's Global Cultural Strategy

Vincenzo De Luca has been appointed as the new Director General for the Promotion of the Country System at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has laid out a plan to enhance the presence of Italian culture, language, and economy internationally through 125 embassies, 79 consulates, and 83 Italian Cultural Institutes (IIC) across 59 nations. De Luca highlights culture's role in forging partnerships and aspires for future foreign leaders to speak Italian. The Farnesina aids businesses through InfoMercatiesteri and ExTender, while also organizing economic missions. Projects like Signa Maris aim to boost nautical tourism in southern Italy. The contemporary art collection, overseen by Maurizio Calvesi and Lorenzo Canova, has received new loans, featuring works by Burri, Accardi, and Vedova. Recent exhibitions have taken place in Mexico, Sweden, Germany, and the Balkans. Although De Luca acknowledges budget limitations, he advocates for the loan system's flexibility and notes collaboration with MiBACT, MIUR, RAI, and the Dante Alighieri Society in promoting tourism. He commends the efforts of the seven 'chiara fama' IIC directors despite funding cuts.