Italian museums: too many temporary exhibitions?

Renato Barilli responds to a pamphlet by Tomaso Montanari and Vincenzo Trione criticizing the excess of temporary exhibitions in Italy. While acknowledging the problem, Barilli argues that temporary shows remain essential for museums lacking strong permanent collections, to highlight important works and catch innovative trends. However, he warns against the compulsion to fill empty spaces, citing two excellent museums that sometimes succumb to this pressure: Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, which pioneered temporary exhibitions since the 1970s under Franco Farina, but now occasionally mounts unnecessary shows like the current one on Symbolism-Divisionism and Futurism under the vague title "Stati d'animo"; and the Musei di San Domenico in Forlì, which after successful early exhibitions on local glories like Palmezzano and Melozzo da Forlì, now presents a generic "L'Eterno e il Tempo" that superficially touches Michelangelo and Caravaggio. Barilli calls for a balanced approach: temporary exhibitions are valuable but should not be forced.