Italy Allocates €20 Million for Art Exhibitions Disrupted by Pandemic

On September 3, 2020, the Italian Directorate General of Museums published a public notice detailing the allocation of €20 million from the Emergency Fund for Cultural Enterprises and Institutions, established under Article 183, paragraph 2 of Decree Law No. 34 of 2020. This fund compensates operators in the art exhibition sector who suffered revenue losses due to cancellations, postponements, or delays of exhibitions in Italy or abroad scheduled between February 23 and September 30, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible beneficiaries include entities whose primary activity is organizing art exhibitions, as well as logistics, transport, and installation service providers deriving over 50% of their turnover from exhibition-related activities. The fund was made operational following approval by the Court of Auditors and the publication of Ministerial Decree No. 372 of August 3, 2020, which established allocation criteria. Applications must be submitted exclusively online via the Directorate General of Museums' platform by September 18, 2020. The Directorate will soon publish a FAQ section to address inquiries. The notice was authored by Raffaella Pellegrino, a lawyer specializing in copyright and intellectual property law.