A wonderful labyrinth: twisted and unpredictable. 10.000 visitors for the opening of the Museum of the century. A museum that is close to our hearts; a museum that has something to narrate to everyone. This is how the inauguration went.
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An annoying early December drizzle was not able to dampen the enthusiasm of the many enthusiasts who were lined up to visit the Museo del Novecento. A real event. At the end of the day over 10 thousand "privileged" visitors had marched through the halls of what today can be considered one of the most important museums devoted to the so-called "short century". The performance started off outside the Museum, in Piazza Duomo amongst the umbrellas of those queuing, where a group of clowns enlivened the long wait.Then there was the message from the Mayor Letizia Moratti, who wanted to shake hands with the first visitors.
Virginia, an art lover, arrived from Parma with her friends just to be amongst the first to join the Milanese museum: "this city really needed a large collection, a collection of the highest quality. Personally, I am interested in all the '900, and in particular the paintings by Boccioni that I cannot wait to see up close with my very own eyes".
Massimo Manzo, a doctor from Naples, enthuses: "I'm in Milan for a conference and did not want to miss this opportunity. The collection narrates a period that concerns us; we are interested in the individual stories or episodes of this century, even if only from a purely statistical point of view. That's why there is a lot of interest. The presence of this museum is the confirmation that Milan is one of Europe's most artistically vibrant cities".Mingling with "normal people who want to see what is going on", said the councillor Finazzer Flory, there were many prominent members of society and culture. Just to name a few: Nobel laureate Dario Fo, Gillo Dorfles and the actor Ferruccio Soleri. Plus, familiar faces such as Martina Colombari, the designer Elio Fiorucci and Martina Mondadori.
Gualtiero Marchesi, the famous chef, sees a strong similarity between the work of a cook and that of a painter: "Artusi said that cuisine is an exact science, it is the chef that must turn it into art". He adds: "How could I not be interested in this museum? I had the good fortune to meet some of these great artists, such as Baj, Fontana and Manzoni, who have us left important works that we can now admire in this collection". Ornella Vanoni, Milanese singer par excellence: "My favorite is Boccioni and I have a soft spot for the entire period of futurism, a movement that has become international."
Antonio Scurati, writer: "There are many masterpieces here and you will be surprised by the enormous wealth of the works". The writer adds his reflection on the "Fourth Estate", the work that also has a decidedly civil intention: "I hope that the visitors who reach the end of the slope that leads them up to the work of Pellizza da Volpedo, reflect upon the fact that even today we are all part of a composite and we are people on the move, made up of many souls, as indeed it has always been in Milan”.
Italo Rota, the architect who, together with Fabio Fornasari, designed the project of the museum hovers around pleased to see such a huge number of visitors present. "This space - he comments - was really designed to accommodate people. It is a place meant for people to gather together and admire these works. Now we have an excellent hub from which the museum wealth of the entire city radiates". We ask Rota if he too has the impression that today, the opening day, visitors are almost dazed, as if struck by the presence of so many masterpieces all together: "I agree” he says “after all this is a place designed to wander and 'get lost' in, like an enchanted forest wonderland". Marina Pugliese, director of the museum, highlights the work of architects: "It is a continuous narrative, without pause, which has a rhythm yet it reserves surprises. Nothing is taken for granted, starting from the spiral staircase that introduces you, even physically, into this century that provokes such great emotions."
The visit to the Museum rooms is punctuated by musical events in-keeping with the period: sounds that have helped create the atmosphere of the century. At the exit we meet Guido Paolo Stefanelli from Bologna: "the Museum was a beautiful and charming experience. Above all, the incipit is extraordinary. The first rooms are so interesting they are breathtaking. Morandi, Boccioni, Fontana: fantastic! Plus, I also liked the furnishing of the interiors: the clever use of lighting and the layout of the colour schemes and flooring".
Alessandro Tronconi, from Milan: "The beginning is fantastic, whilst the final part of the collection which is situated in the Arengario, it is more difficult, perhaps better suited to professionals but still it seems very interesting".The inauguration of the Museo del Novecento has also attracted many young people. Danijela Radunkovic, a university student from Milan, especially liked the informal art: "I came here out of curiosity to see a world-class museum that enriches our city wonderfully. It was exactly what was needed in Milan".
