Francesco Cellini on Accademia di San Luca's Post-Lockdown Plans

Francesco Cellini, President of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome, discusses the institution's phased reopening strategy following Italy's COVID-19 lockdown. The Accademia plans to prioritize online cultural production via its Nam platform, enhance international relations, and improve internal facilities for safety. Cellini expresses 'worried satisfaction' about the potential May 18 reopening. He categorizes activities into five types, from high-public-attendance events to remote work, and plans to gradually restart the first two categories based on health conditions. Cellini calls for a critical analysis of the art market's distortions and urges a shift away from hyper-concentration on a few prestigious sites toward broader cultural heritage. He notes that the Accademia has not initiated dialogue with the Ministry but sees the forced pause as an opportunity to address destructive mass tourism. The interview is part of Artribune's series on Italian museums' Phase 2.