Venice Biennale Foundation President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco is very capable, Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday but stressed that she would not have made his choice about admitting a Russian pavilion to this year's edition of the arts extravaganza.
Speaking after the international jury resigned after culture ministry inspectors were sent in by Minister Alessandro Giuli, Meloni said: "I can't tell you about the jury's resignation, because I read it on my way downstairs.
I can't say if it's related to the issue of sending the inspectors.
I'm a little lost on the dynamics of this affair, so I'll stick to my initial position: the government declared it didn't agree with the choice regarding the Russian Pavilion, and the Biennale is an autonomous body, and Buttafuoco is a very capable person. I wouldn't have made this choice in his place." Meloni was responding to those who asked her whether sending the inspectors to the Biennale was a hostile act toward the president of the Venice Biennale Foundation, Buttafuoco.
"Regarding the dispatch of inspectors, I think the right person to ask is Minister Giuli, because I presume he made this decision. I haven't had a chance to discuss it with him," Meloni added.
