The Italian Cultural Institute of Miami was officially inaugurated on 7th March. It completes the range of Italian institutions in Florida and in the South-East of the United States, flanking the Consulate General of Italy and the ICE Agency Office in Miami.
The inauguration of the new Italian Cultural Institute is a new stage in the process of strengthening Italian cultural diplomacy in the world, illustrated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, during the Stati Generali della Diplomazia Culturale held last October in Florence. On that occasion, Minister Tajani had announced initiatives aimed at “implementing – thanks to cultural diplomacy – a great process of internationalisation and Italian investment abroad, based not only on the sale of goods but also on the export of cultural services.”
The Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Public and Cultural Diplomacy, Alessandro De Pedys, and the Consul General in Miami, Michele Mistò, cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the Institute, wanted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) to further strengthen – with an all-round approach – promotional activities in the United States.
During the ceremony, the exhibition Fortunato Depero. Dall’arte di avanguardia alla nuova pubblicità – was open to the public. The exhibition, curated by Eduardo De Maio with Laura Mattioli, can be visited until 5 May. Along a path that moves from some masterpieces of the early Futurist period to achievements in the field of graphic design and advertising, the exhibition gives an insight into the talent of the great Italian artist (1892-1960).
With the start of the Italian Cultural Institute’s activities, there is “a qualitative leap forward in Italy’s projection and promotion in an area of the United States that is extremely dynamic, closely linked to Italy and receptive to its excellence in the most varied fields, ranging from contemporary art to architecture and design, from scientific research to business innovation”. As stressed by Consul General Michele Mistò, “Miami, Florida and the surrounding areas are an extraordinary socio-economic laboratory, where a vibrant and innovative cultural scene is developing, nurturing a vision of knowledge combined with know-how and giving shape to increasingly original and sustainable lifestyles and artifacts.”
As Director General De Pedys said, “the Fortunato Depero exhibition, we have chosen for the opening ceremony, well epitomizes an approach to Italian culture that enhances the union between art and communication, through the use of the languages of painting, graphics and design. At the same time, recalling an artist who lived in the United States and was strongly influenced by that experience in his work, highlights one of the central tasks of our cultural diplomacy, which is to promote Italy’s immense historical-artistic heritage by conveying a current and non-stereotypical image of the country, while at the same time fostering dialogue and the circulation of ideas in the countries where the Italian Cultural Institutes operate.
After the ceremony, there was a performance of singers Virginio (Virginio Simonelli) and Arianna (Arianna Bergamaschi), interpreters of the contemporary and international Italian culture and music scene, with significant artistic collaborations on both sides of the ocean.
In close coordination with the Consulate General in Miami, the new Italian Cultural Institute directed by Stefano Cerrato will continue its activities with a full calendar of events scheduled for the coming months, with initiatives dedicated to art, cinema, architecture and design, literature, music (from opera to songs), science and sport. The first initiatives include the celebration of the International Women’s Day with the screening of the film Primadonna, as part of the “Italian Screens” initiative; the Italian Design Day; the participation of director and actor Massimiliano Finazzer Flory in the Italian Film Festival in Miami, with the documentary film Un coach come padre, dedicated to the great Italian basketball personality, Sandro Gamba.
