MEIS director Simonetta della Seta on museum reopening plans in Ferrara

Simonetta della Seta, director of the Museo Nazionale dell'Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah (MEIS) in Ferrara, discussed the museum's Phase 2 reopening strategy in an interview with Artribune. She expressed mixed feelings about the possible May 18 reopening: joy for giving hope, apprehension about preparing new protocols, and curiosity about the first post-lockdown audience. By that date, the museum will have sanitized spaces and developed a gradual reopening roadmap, following the government decree of April 26, MiBACT's museum directorate guidelines, and protocols used by essential businesses. Initial actions include opening the biblical garden and outdoor spaces, launching educational programs and games for young visitors, and improving the website for remote engagement. Della Seta believes the crisis will foster a more interactive and intimate relationship between museums and visitors, forcing institutions to center on visitor needs rather than just collections. The museum is in dialogue with the national museum network and Italian Jewish museum network to share best practices, and hopes for economic support given high expenses and low revenues. The major exhibition 'DENTRO&FUORI. Oltre il ghetto,' originally scheduled for April, will likely be postponed to 2021. Della Seta identifies creativity, love for beauty and knowledge, trust in the public, and government support as essential for the art sector's restart.