Bondi blesses the new GAM Foundation

“Gallarate is like Barcelona, the administrators of this city have understood the need people have of culture, and the stimulus it can give their lives.” This comment was made by the Cultural Heritage Minister, Sandro Bondi, who came to Gallarate to sign the program agreement with the town council, led by Nicola Mucci, who officially got the creation of the new GAM Foundation underway. The Minister has already appointed two leading figures to the board of directors and technical committee of the Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery (GAM), in Gallarate: Sandrina Bandera, the curator and director of the “Pinacoteca” Gallery in Brera, Milan, and former curator of the historical, artistic and ethno-anthropological heritage for the provinces of Milan, Bergamo, Como, Lecco, Lodi, Pavia, Sondrio, and Varese, will join the former; and Alain Elkann, the journalist and writer, a personal friend of Mr Bondi, will join the latter. We still know nothing about the council appointments. “I’ll decide soon. Once we have signed the notary acts, I want the Foundation to be in a condition to be able to work immediately,” explained Mucci. Time is short, as next 19 March, the new museum will open with two exhibitions: one, of the permanent collection of GAM (over 5000 pictures, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, animation and environmental works, books of artists, design objects and projects, multimedia works, engravings and silk-screen prints, the fruit of the creativity of some of the most famous exponents of Italian and International contemporary art); the other, with a national and international feel, on Amedeo Modigliani. The Mayor of Gallarate, has confirmed that the GAM Foundation will be managed by Emma Zanella, the daughter of the founder Silvio, and current director of the museum. The new premises of the GAM Foundation, with which the town council and the Ministry, as well as the Region of Lombardy and the Province of Varese will all collaborate, is in Via De Magri, and have a total area of approximately 5000 m². Recovery of the pre-existing industrial buildings and the construction of new buildings have enabled creating large spaces for both temporary and permanent exhibitions, rooms for use as workshops and for teaching purposes, a conference room, a library and a restaurant, as well as an external amphitheatre, for open-air events. The Ministry is going to collaborate in a supervisory role, and help in managing and organising events: for the moment, no mention has been made of money.

At the time of the coveted signature, the whole of Gallarate town council, top representatives of the State Police, the Local Police, the Carabinieri, the Minister’s entourage and some local political representatives were present in the hall. Mucci thanked all of his collaborators and the Minister. “It is an agreement that marks a historical moment,” he said. “Synergy with the Ministry is the goal, but, at the same time, an important starting point. With this agreement and with the assistance of the Triennale, the GAM Foundation will become a point of reference for art and culture at a provincial, regional, national and international level. Let us look forward positively, and with commitment. It’s been a long journey, but we’ve finally made it.”

Bondi said he was pleased to be in Gallarate. “It’s a very important moment for the whole of Italy,” he said. “Innovation does not necessarily have to come from the big cities, it often comes from small towns that are rich in history and tradition. Over the last few years, Gallarate has invested more in culture in both financial and concrete terms, with the new museum, the Foundation, two renovated theatres, and the project for the new public library. These are great results that project the city towards important goals. They mark the beginning of new collaboration between the state and local authorities, between public and private: this is the right way, Gallarate is an example to follow.” Then Bondi praised the work of Mucci: “I’ve travelled around Italy a lot in these last few years. I’ve seen young, capable, honest and competent administrators; they are the future of this country. When they do as well as Mucci, who I know and appreciate, I think they are ready for the political responsibility of government.” The mayor of Gallarate, who was clearly moved, thanked Minister Bondi. Outside the Gallarate town hall, Palazzo Borghi, council employees distributed leaflets to protest against the transfer of six people to the new GAM