Italian government to appoint commissioner to control Maxxi
Board of directors for contemporary museum blames
government cuts for deficit
By Ermanno Rivetti. Web only
Published online: 19 April 2012
The board of directors of the Fondazione Maxxi has
expressed outrage at the ministry of culture’s sudden announcement that it was
transferring control of the foundation to a commissioner. The ministry says it
made the decision because the board was unable to set a satisfactory budget for
2012. The foundation, which runs Maxxi—Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI
secolo, Italy
The ministry issued the statement on 13 April following
concerns that the Maxxi’s 2011 deficit of €700,000 would only increase in the
future. The foundation had ten days to present its counter argument, and it did
so immediately, releasing a statement refuting the ministry’s reasons for the
decision. According to the foundation’s books, the museum, which runs on €10m a
year, received €7m from the government in 2010 while raising a further €3.3m
through ticket sales and sponsorship. In 2011, the government slashed its funds
by 43% to less than €4m, but the museum managed to generate more than half of
its required annual budget, raising €5.6m. Pio Baldi, the foundation’s
president, blames the €700,000 deficit on government cuts, but says that the
gap had been filled thanks to a €2.4m surplus generated by the museum between
2009 and 2010. He added that the only reason the foundation’s budget for 2012
was rejected was because of further government cuts.
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