Return to Naples to stay. Eike Schmidtdirector of Capodimonte museum, for two months he was on leave having run for mayor of Florence for the centre-right. He lost the election and two days after the ballot he is back in the former Bourbon palace.
Someone said that he would not really return to direct the museum, perhaps to fill a prestigious role in the Ministry of Culture: «These are things I read in the newspapers, no one from the ministry called me. I’m in Capodimonte, already at work” says Schmidt. For two months, he explains, he remained in contact with the acting director, Luigi La Rocca, former superintendent. Especially on the front of big projects: «I continued to follow Capodimontewe must conclude the creation of the “Lia Rumma” section which will make our institution one of the main contemporary art galleries in Italy, then the so-called porcelain “cabinet” curated by Federico Forquet, and energy efficiency which costs over 40 million euros. Now everything will move forward quickly.”
Also because, explains the Italian-German scholar, the budget was approved: «This is the first commitment made since I have managed the museum. We have funds for these projects and to ensure the work of 79 outsourced staff units. And for the next initiatives, including this autumn a major exhibition on women painters in the history of Neapolitan art combined with a reflection on the role of women in society.”
Useful measures for the future: why the museum must attract new tourists in a city that is experiencing a boom in visitors. He reflects Schmidt: «A problem that has been affecting Capodimonte since 2009, again due to lack of funding. I am studying how to overcome the lack of public: I want to do exhibitions with restored works, as I have already done at the Uffizi, and not send out more than 4 or 5 masterpieces at a time. In recent times the main paintings have been in Paris and Turin, this must not happen again. And I think that with the good relationships I have in the various museums of the world I will be able to bring other prestigious works here to Naples”.
Even from the Uffizi? «Why not, it can definitely happen. It is important that the international public returns to know Capodimonte, the second museum in Italy and the first in the South, with the most complete collection of Southern Italy. Working on the collection can lead to discoveries, it already happened to me at the Uffizi when we brought out a Titian: this and other operations will bring visitors back here to the hills and funds for the life of the institution.”
He summarizes the electoral experience with a joke: «Two wonderful months, but after the first round I knew I would lose. I remained trusting in a miracle, you can see that on the evening of Saint John the patron saint of Florence concentrated on the goal of Zaccagni in Italy-Croatia… On the other hand, I was announced as director of Capodimonte when I was visiting the chapel of San Gennaro: things went better with the protector of Naples, I have to stay.”
Schmidt’s return to Naples was accompanied by controversy from members of the center-left, from the governor Vincenzo De Luca, “he won’t even find the seat”, to others in the Democratic Party who accused him of absenteeism. This time Schmidt throws water on the fire, not giving up a few barbs: «These are party controversies, it’s okay. Rather, I invite all the representatives of the Democratic Party who have only recently become aware of Capodimonte to come here and collaborate on the future of the museum. Or perhaps to look at other museums that don’t have a director, while the former Bourbon palace does and is quite active too.”
Finally up Gennaro Sangiuliano, Minister of Culture: «I heard him on Monday, he congratulated the election result given that the centre-right hadn’t had much support since 1999. He is very close to CapodimonteI thank him because he is fighting to get us funding.”
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