M9 Museum in Mestre Struggles with Visitor Numbers

The high-tech M9 Museum in Mestre, Italy, is failing to attract expected visitor numbers just six months after opening. The Fondazione di Venezia, the main backer, has guaranteed funding until 2021, but the museum is missing approximately 10,000 visitors per month to ensure sustainability. The project, which began over twelve years ago, aimed to regenerate a disused area but has been criticized for being disconnected from its context. The museum's narrative, focused on Italy's social evolution in the 20th century, is seen as niche and impersonal. Critics argue that the museum lacks community engagement and relies too heavily on technology like VR and apps. Director was appointed only a month before opening, limiting his ability to shape the project. The article suggests that Mestre needs its own cultural identity rather than trying to compete with Venice. The museum's permanent exhibition is rigid and unable to repeatedly attract visitors. The author, Massimiliano Zane, calls for a fundamental rethink of the project's relationship with the city and its citizens.