ICOM Italy, Fondazione Musei Civici Venezia consider reopening museums before April 2021

The Venice Civic Museums will remain closed until April 2021: this is the Foundation’s choice in the face of uncertainty about the reopening of the museums, and workers will be put on 100 percent layoff.

Regarding this decision, ICOM Italy wrote an open letter to the members of the Board of Directors of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, published on the website.

"ICOM Italy has reiterated several times the important social role of the museum, strongly recalled in its international definition and also recognized by national legislation that identifies it as an essential public service for populations.

For this reason, it has also recently urged the government to authorize its opening to the public as soon as there are the conditions of safety from the health point of view-particularly in territories in which the mobility of people is allowed-leaving to the respective governing bodies, in consultation with the directors, the overall assessment of the sustainability economic viability and appropriateness with reference to the social and environmental context, and the establishment of special admission arrangements and fees for visits and services, the launching of information campaigns and innovative projects to increase the involvement of neighboring communities in the life of the museum.

At the same time, both at the international and national levels, ICOM has recommended ensuring as far as possible, even during the pandemic, the continuity of the other core functions of the museum, primarily conservation (security of buildings and collections, monitoring of environmental conditions, maintenance and restoration), but also research, cataloging and digitization of exhibits or stored in repositories, planning of activities educational, the possible rethinking of displays and communication tools - including through the wider use of digital technologies - the planning of temporary exhibitions and other initiatives to be implemented when the current emergency situation eases.

Of course, we are aware that for museums of particular tourist attraction, such as the Venetian museums, the drastic decrease in revenue from admission fees creates particularly serious problems from an economic-financial point of view, despite the fact that the government has provided refreshments to compensate for the losses.

On the other hand, the Foundation itself reaffirms in its statute (Art. 3) its desire to guarantee the public enjoyment of Venice’s civic museums (“permanent structures that acquire, conserve, order and exhibit cultural goods for purposes of education and study”), and pledges to promote the participation of residents (to whom, moreover, free visits are assured).

We are confident that the Foundation, which is among other things an institutional member of ICOM and thus recognizes itself in the ethical principles proclaimed by this organization, will make every effort so that:

- essential functions are guaranteed in the institutes and useful actions are prepared for future recovery, thanks to the contribution of museum professionals;

- possibilities are considered for the opening, albeit partial and gradual, of the museums, even before April 1, transforming the critical factors related to the collapse of international tourism into a positive opportunity for the rediscovery and attachment of Venetians to their artistic, bibliographic, and natural heritage, planning activities which may seem unprofitable from an economic point of view, but which allow for the strengthening of the cultural and relational fabric, contributing to the creation of a stronger human and civic identity of this city unique in the world for its beauty and history."

ICOM Italy, Fondazione Musei Civici Venezia consider reopening museums before April 2021

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