Brera at an Exhibition. The Pinacoteca discovers a taste for the provisional

At some point, a direction must be chosen. And the path taken by the Grande Brera – which, at first glance, appears to be an almost U-turn compared with the recent past – deserves attention. Let’s start with some figures: the Pinacoteca is practically always sold out (some would say: too much so). General Manager Angelo Crespi is holding off on the final figures; he says he will provide the exact ones at the end of the year: “But we’re on track, perhaps even showing an increase compared to 2025” (which ended with 640,000 visitors, between the Pinacoteca and Palazzo Citterio). Second fact: Palazzo Citterio, finally open under its new opening hours (Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30 am to 7.15 pm), has plenty of room for improvement in terms of visitor numbers and – another indisputable fact – also plenty of free space for exhibitions (just imagine how envious the other directors must be). Another fact: the entire Brera complex is a work in progress. Recent visitors will have noticed the tall crane standing out behind the famous statue of Napoleon in the Pinacoteca’s main courtyard. It is being used for the building works that began at the start of the summer on the museum’s roof, to fix the leaks. “‘The work is progressing at a good pace: we may even finish ahead of schedule,’ comments Crespi. ‘During Design Week, the crane will be dismantled, as the courtyard will host a major design installation. We’ll reassemble it in May to complete the works on schedule. Palazzo Citterio will also host a major installation project during Design Week.’”

The funds needed to take it in the new direction we want come (not only, but also) from here – that is, from fruitful collaborations with the private sector. In the case of Angelo Crespi’s Grande Brera, it is that of ‘a living museum, as Fernanda Wittgens used to say’ – the legendary curator who saved Brera’s masterpieces from the bombs, and was among the first to conceive of the museum not only as an archive but also as a school for everyone (her ideas are the subject of Anatomia di un ritratto, a film by Mattia Colombo and Francesco Clerici recently premiered in Venice). Crespi says he feels a bit like her grandson, particularly when it comes to this idea of broadening the audience as much as possible. How? By focusing on an area the museum only began to explore last year: that of temporary exhibitions. Let’s take a look at the exhibition programme that has just been announced: between now and next summer, the schedule features eleven exhibitions, spread across the Pinacoteca’s galleries, the Sala Maria Teresa at the Braidense and, where space is ample, Palazzo Citterio (from the LED wall at the ticket office for digital projects, to the Brutalist Sala Stirling for monographic exhibitions, and the second floor for displays requiring more floor space). “We are the Italian state museum with the most varied programme,” claims Crespi, who, in this respect, is following a path already trodden by others (such as Simone Verde, to give just one example, who does not skimp on temporary exhibitions – often sophisticated ones – at the Uffizi: a major project on Lorenzo the Magnificent is on the way)

“It’s a huge responsibility,” admits the director of the Grande Brera. It must be said that many of the curatorial appointments across various areas are of the highest calibre (Fernando Mazzocca, Eike Schmidt and Luca Massimo Barbero, to name but three). So here, then, is the plan: to transform the Brera museum complex into an exhibition centre as well. “Is that really necessary?” we asked. “It’s not that we need it – we’re not a Kunsthalle (or the Royal Palace, but that’s just our opinion, ed.) – but we need purpose, a direction.” This year, there is a strong focus on the history of Brera, celebrating two important anniversaries: the centenary of the Amici di Brera, Italy’s oldest association of patrons – it is to their credit that Caravaggio’s The Supper at Emmaus was purchased in that grim year of 1939 – and the 250th anniversary of the Accademia, which has been honoured since November with a monographic exhibition on Francesco Hayez. For the first time, the Accademia’s collections – including the famous Laocoön – will be brought together with the masterpieces from the Pinacoteca and a brand-new acquisition by the MIC that will remain at the museum. Speaking of a “living museum”: over the next two years, the Pinacoteca’s last two galleries, 37 and 38, will be rearranged to feature an exhibition dedicated to Hayez, with Il Bacio at its centre. There is also talk of a general reorganisation of the Pinacoteca and so, when this future prospect is combined with the imminent packed programme of exhibitions, the direction seems to us to be one of ‘changing so as not to bore’ (and, of course, to attract new audiences).