Qualities needed for a contemporary art center director: the case of Centro Pecci
The appointment of a new director at the Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato has sparked a discussion regarding the criteria for leadership in such institutions. While the center seeks to promote multidisciplinary interactions across different art forms, genuine innovation necessitates collaboration with technology and business. Notable examples include Ars Electronica in Linz and the New Museum’s partnership with Rhizome. The selection committee, which consisted of three curators/art historians, restricted the process, resulting in only nine applicants due to political limitations. The author supports hybrid leadership approaches and critiques Italy's protective measures against foreign directors. The article concludes with a quote from Tino Sehgal: 'Art makes more politics than politics when it gathers people, involves them, makes them interact.'
Key facts
- Centro Pecci in Prato is Italy's first center for all contemporary arts.
- The center's mission includes visual arts, cinema, music, performing arts, architecture, design, fashion, and literature.
- Ars Electronica in Linz has four components: festival, prize, museum, and Futurelab laboratory.
- Futurelab collaborates with companies like Mercedes, SAP, Intel, and BMW.
- A drone installation with 100 drones was created in Linz and 300 at Art Basel Miami.
- The New Museum has been affiliated with Rhizome since 2003.
- MAAT in Lisbon is part of an ambitious architectural and urban planning project with a creative hub.
- OGR in Turin is managed by Fondazione CRT.
- The selection committee for Pecci director included three art historians/curators from public institutions.
- Only nine candidates applied for the Pecci director position.
- The author cites hybrid leadership models at New Museum, Serpentine, and HangarBicocca.
- Tino Sehgal stated: 'Art makes more politics than politics when it gathers people, involves them, makes them interact.'
- The article discusses the need for generalist and humanistic training for museum directors.
- Jacob Morgan is quoted on innovation stagnation in hierarchical museum structures.
- Jasper Visser writes about social business and human-centered museum organizations.
Entities
Artists
- Tino Sehgal
- Liam Gillick
- Marco Trevisan
- Jacob Morgan
- Jasper Visser
- Maurice Nio
Institutions
- Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci
- Ars Electronica
- New Museum
- Rhizome
- MAAT
- Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
- MAST
- Officine OGR
- Fondazione CRT
- HangarBicocca
- Serpentine Galleries
- PS1
- Bozaar
- Art Basel Miami
- Mercedes
- SAP
- Intel
- BMW
- Artribune
- Regione Toscana
- Comune di Prato
- Fondazione per le Arti Contemporanee in Toscana
Locations
- Prato
- Italy
- Firenze
- Linz
- Austria
- Lisbon
- Portugal
- Turin
- Miami
- United States