Sgarbi attacks Italy Pavilion curator choice for Venice Biennale

Italian undersecretary for culture Vittorio Sgarbi has publicly criticized the selection of a single artist, Massimo Bartolini, for the Italy Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Arte, curated by Luca Cerizza. Sgarbi expressed disbelief that the minister of culture Gennaro Sangiuliano would approve such a project, calling for a broader representation of Italian creativity including photographers, cartoonists, and designers. He also argued that the Italy Pavilion should be the central one in the Giardini, despite the fact that the old pavilion there has not hosted the Italian participation for decades. Sgarbi's comments are ironic given his own poorly received curation of the Italy Pavilion in 2011, where he selected a mix of cultural figures, entertainers, and entrepreneurs under the theme 'L'Arte non è cosa nostra', resulting in a confusing presentation. The article warns that such political interference risks embarrassing Italy internationally, as the Biennale is a respected global institution.