Gabriella Belli on the Italian Practice of Renting Artworks

Gabriella Belli, former director of Mart in Trento and Rovereto, critiques the widespread practice of renting artworks in Italy, a system she describes as a 'very Italian singularity' incentivized by private exhibition producers. The practice involves museums charging fees for loans, creating an arbitrary market where prices vary based on the artwork's value and the requester's budget. Belli notes that while fees are justified for commercial private entities (e.g., fashion or finance holdings), they undermine cultural collaboration between museums. She cites the Louvre Abu Dhabi as an example of renting entire collections, and the Mart's own thirty-year loan of the VAF–Stiftung collection for a fee. Belli warns that this focus on economic gain risks overshadowing museums' primary cultural mission, and points out that Italy is not among the institutions that uphold reciprocity in loans. She advocates for alternative funding through transparent private partnerships, audience engagement, and European restoration campaigns.