Luca Beatrice attacks Italian art world as 'elite sect' in scathing Giornale column

Luca Beatrice, writing in Il Giornale, launches a blistering critique of the Italian contemporary art scene, likening its closed-circle appointments to inbreeding that produces 'hypothyroid goiter'—genetic defects from consanguinity. He argues that a handful of individuals endlessly swap roles and positions, excluding outsiders and delivering poor results. Beatrice dismisses public competition procedures as a sham, claiming they merely reinforce the elite: 'Pretending transparency and democracy, they only reaffirm what could be done by direct appointment—at least the politician in charge would take responsibility.' He singles out recent appointments: Bartolomeo Pietromarchi as sector director at Maxxi (calling him 'sober to the point of boredom' and author of one of the most lackluster Italy Pavilions), Gianfranco Maraniello at Mart, Cristiana Collu at GNAM, and Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev taking two Turin museums. Beatrice also targets Cecilia Alemani's appointment as curator of the 2017 Italy Pavilion, noting she lives in New York with her powerful husband Massimiliano Gioni, but concedes she might have a fresh perspective on Italian art. The column reflects deep frustration with nepotism and lack of visionary leadership in Italian cultural institutions.