Pinksummer Gallerists on Covid-19, Art Market, and Future Strategies

In an interview with Artribune, Antonella Berruti and Francesca Pennone of Pinksummer gallery in Genoa discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their business. They note that while art is not a necessity, historical precedents like the Florentine Renaissance thriving after plague epidemics suggest resilience. They reference Tobias Putrih's 2007 exhibition "Paradise" at Pinksummer, inspired by John Eberson's atmospheric theater built in the Bronx after the 1929 Wall Street crash, as evidence that people need dreams even in crises. They criticize Margaret Thatcher's individualism, arguing the pandemic has exposed its limits, and call for reviving the Italian 2% law for public art. Regarding remote sales, they respond to inquiries but do not make proposals. They have not developed satisfactory cultural initiatives or strategies. They plan to reopen when allowed. They view virtual viewing rooms and online events as a compromise, akin to online schooling, acceptable only temporarily. They advocate for the art system to act like a forest—rooted yet able to detach from competition, embracing solidarity, ethics, and responsibility, and selling "possible futures as a democratic vaccine."