Who of these two men will finally turn Milan into an international art capital?

Concerning culture, Milan is no longer the listless city it used to be during the period that went from the beginning of the crisis to the opening of the Expo and the Fondazione Prada. And even if some steps forward are still to be made to provide artists and galleries with that international environment which marks the success of today’s capitals of culture such as London or Berlin, we think that in the mid-term this city may finally leave behind its provincial reputation. Next weekend, Milanese people will choose their mayor between Beppe Sala – former CEO of Expo Spa and representative of the party of the Italian premier Matteo Renzi – and Stefano Parisi, an experienced and widely respected public manager who is supported by the opposition parties including Forza Italia and Lega Nord. In order to offer some points of reference to those people who are regarding this city as a smart option for the next years (after all few other cities in the world can offer such a variety of easy escapes for the weekend), we asked both candidates to answer some general questions about culture, which is always an effective marker of politics. Only one of them accepted to reply. He is Stefano Parisi who, albeit the parties supporting him are generally not that interested in culture, has been effectively the most active among the candidates in regard with this delicate subject matter.

 

Which issues are currently affecting Milan’s visual arts environment as a whole?

 

In these months of campaigning, I have had the privilege of dealing extensively with the citizenry and with the people and institutions that have more to do with visual arts, just as young artists, galleries, collectors and Milan’s fair directors. And what I constantly hear is that they are tired of a completely politicized, self-referential system, which does not dialogue enough with the private sector, irrespective of the fact that the latter could be a well-established and well-functioning partner to work with. As mayor of Milan, one of the first things I’d do would certainly be to put in charge of the Department of Culture a professional, not a politician, to manage several different issues with the help of experts from any field and to follow the various projects that will be presented. Another absolute priority is to cut the red tape, which represents today one of the most insurmountable obstacles for those with projects or who wants to organise events and fairs. Mapping, digitising and cataloguing the entire collection of the Municipality figurative arts in order to make it accessible to the citizenry and the world through online platforms such as Google art project and social networks is another task to be done soon. Then, I think that a reorganisation of the Monumental Cemetery should be carried out soon, so that it will not be seen only as a place of worship any more, but as an open-air museum, and thus managed and maintained as a heritage to be preserved and enhanced. I think, furthermore, that the municipal museums should be transformed in private foundations, although retaining the majority of the shares, and managed just the same way as collections and properties, through the granting of long-term contracts to ensure more efficient management and facilitating investments, as the expenses incurred by the private will be deducted from the license fee. Finally, I think that a fund-raising company to attract sponsorship, donations and partnerships in culture should be created soon, to transform into a structured, permanent and professional work what today is done only occasionally.

 

What should be done to improve the city’s cultural identity?

 

The first thing to do is certainly to involve the thousands of existent organisations in the management of public spaces with transparent procedures and a transparent assessment of the output, to promote artistic production in all areas and districts of Milan. The next City Council will have as its primary task to help the citizenry to build, day after day, the city they want. We will not only ‘listen’ to them: we want them to get involved, so as to build together a city that does not fear the future. A city that should be more liveable, more sustainable, smarter, more innovative, able to leverage its entrepreneurial excellence as well as its civic spirit. A capital city of design, fashion, culture, research, business, integration, solidarity. A capital city from where you are able to leave, because there is no place in the world that is really far away, but in which you want to return, because it is a privilege to call it home.

 

The relationship between public and private art institutions has become problematic in almost every developed country in Europe after the crisis. If you are elected, which position will the city council adopt?

 

As I said before, the dialogue between public and private institutions is essential to carry out better policies and yearn for great results. Such a dialogue should be open not only for the biggest institutions, but also for the many independent art spaces, young actors, musicians who often do not know where to rehearse their shows. I want to create suitable and affordable spaces for them, also dialoguing with the Milanese private collections, creating an innovative model that allows the latter to be valued through agreements with the municipality. Think of the masterpieces collected by Arturo Schwartz and destined to museums far from Milan. Think of Dario Fo’s heritage, which flew to Verona to find a space to get shown. Think of the work of Enrico Baj, that Milan’s municipality is somehow unable to receive despite a gallerist like Gio Marconi desires to donate it to the city.

 

Which city in the UE should Milan take as a model, if any?

 

I’d like to take inspiration from cities like Berlin to support young people and give them space and rental controls. I’d like to get inspiration from Liverpool for the project of an organisation of young designers, architects and artists, winner of the Turner Prize with “Granby Four Streets CLT”, to make sure that residents of a given place adopt a square or an underpass to turn it into something truly unique working actively to support social activities in their streets and making their talents widely known: with music, theatre, etc. So I would like to get inspired by the world to make Milan unique. And our extra gear, that makes it unique, is our people.

June 17, 2016