Venice Civic Museums Lack Director Amid Major Art Donation

A donation of 105 contemporary artworks from the Gemma De Angelis Testa collection to the City of Venice risks being underutilized because the Fondazione dei Musei Civici di Venezia has no director. The municipal administration abolished the director position, leaving management to an internal administrator. The collection, valued at over €17 million, includes works by Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Anselm Kiefer, Marina Abramović, and others, destined for Ca' Pesaro's Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, also culture assessor, eliminated the role without a public selection process. Critics argue this provincial approach undermines cultural policy, contrasting with Rome's recent international search for a director of the Musei Capitolini. A previous 2020 donation of 34 works from the Prast collection (including Klee, Schiele, Kandinsky) also remains unexhibited. The lack of leadership threatens proper valorization of the collections and reflects a broader trend of prioritizing tourism revenue over cultural innovation, exemplified by the €30 ticket price increase at Palazzo Ducale.