Awakening through art | Peter Assmann | TEDxMantova

How can art help awaken the vitality of a city? Peter Assmann, curator of art exhibitions and director of the Palazzo Ducale Museum Complex in Mantua, leads us to discover how the courage to open up to creativity has allowed us to create the most visited places on the planet.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Personally, I have to say,
I love sleeping a lot.

I love making that transition
to another world and dreaming.

And what I love the most is waking up

with some ideas
that I took from the dream.

A dream that normally opens new doors,
so I can face new possibilities:

how can one look at someonee's life?

How will I consider the next situation?

And so waking up, for me,
means getting on the move,

choosing the new path to take today.

To orient oneself,
to orient oneself towards the new,

not on the same old road.

So look for a bit
where a new door opens up,

and what new goal it leads me to.

And that also means deciding,

among the many possibilities
brought about by a new day -

after a good night's sleep, of course.

Open the doors, open up to new ideas,
and open up to the world.

Open up to creativity:
that's a bit of my life purpose.

Also, it's not just about me:

because I can do almost anything,
I can be creative.

But I fulfill a social purpose
only if ideas are shared.

If many others participate
to what you've developed.

This is Mantua.

We're talking about a city
that for decades was a "Sleeping Beauty".

Sleeping well is fine,
but it can be too much.

Beautiful - beauty also means beautiful,

but for whom?

For a few?

For many?

Too many, maybe?

When I was called
to direct the largest complex,

the museum complex of Palazzo Ducale,
here in Mantua city,

I said no: I'm not the prince
kissing that sleeping beauty.

I appeal to the professionals
in the field, the creative minds.

These are the artists,

these are the contemporary artists
who work every day on creativity.

In Mantua we have the strongest example,
we have almost a magic word,

called Gonzaga.

The family that turned little Mantua
into a great Mantua.

Here is a view

of our very famous
Bridal Chamber, "camera picta",

because it is just painted
with a unique creativity.

For over two centuries, the Gonzaga family

always focused on creativity
and always brought in new ideas.

They were always aware:
what is the latest fashion?

Isabella d'Este as a great
style icon of her time.

Always new artists: they championed
Pisanello, for instance,

with his large drawings on the wall,
a new revolutionary idea,

Andrea Mantegna, Giulio Romano -
there are many to mention.

But you have to understand
that all these artists,

who now we consider great masters

in their time were contemporary,
and also much discussed.

Even as foreigners:

Rubens, was "the Italian Flemish",
not everyone accepted him immediately.

Monteverdi, too, is one from Cremona.

(Laughter)

He became the great Monteverdi in Mantua,
before dying in Venice.

So you can awaken a city with art:

Mantua is the most beautiful example

because what Gonzagas understood

is that image survives.

What gives strength, for a very long time,

is the image, it is the composition
and involvement in the image.

Let's talk about other cities:

you all know it, this is
the most visited museum in Italy.

It's called the Uffizi: what does it mean?

It first wasn't meant to be a museum,
but a redfile building.

They did "Uffizi" [Offices], here.

But in the gallery of this building

few paintings were exhibited,
and then gradually other paintings

in others floors too.

And the Uffizi, over time, become a museum

thanks to a decision
to focus precisely on art

creating an environment
that's now one of the most visited places.

Let's take another example:

Rome, also well known,
with the largest amphitheatre.

It's hard to imagine [that] for centuries,

this great amphitheater
was simply a repository.

It has been used as, say,
a free source

for construction sites
in current buildings.

And then, at some point,
someone said, "No, come on.

We have to take care of this,
we must reassess,

we must awaken this monument

because it is the very center
of ancient Rome."

So, it's about a city that's much bigger
than the city we live in now.

Today, the Colosseum, as you know,

is one of the most visited monuments,
all over Italy and the world.

Another example is Venice.

Venice, at the end
of the eighteenth century

was just the casino of Europe.

One could even say the brothel of Europe.

Forbidden to minors,
because it was a bit of a sin city.

But little by little, art became
more important here as well.

The interest on gambling
went progressively down,

in favour of Tiziano and Tintoretto.

But this was not enough for the Venetians

who were always very keen
on their international identity.

They created a fabulous idea:
1895, the first Biennale.

Not Biennial of the past art:
of contemporary art!

So a direct comparison, in a city
almost museum-like, every two years.

This concept - now, this year,
we live another experience:

many come,

many meet up here

to deal with the current creativity.

Great idea, great success.

Let's talk about
another place, the Louvre.

The Louvre, as you know,
was the home of the French royal family.

Then, let's say, the center of power.

The French Revolution changed everything.

They decided: we no longer have the king,

but we turn this building
into a museum for all citizens

who have the right to approach
the creativity of the past.

A long period, a museum,

and then a bit of a crisis
because it was a bit stuck in the past.

And some people thought,
what can we do

to take a new step
towards our current life?

And they built the pyramid,

this intervention
of contemporary architecture

that gave another center of attention

not only spatial but also spiritual

for this centre.

Today, as you know, the Louvre
is the most visited museum in the world.

Think- Austria hosts
eight million residents.

All the inhabitants of Austria
come to visit the Louvre every year.

Let’s talk about London, a huge city:
so many problems, countless citizens.

Many places, even a British Museum
as their traditional museum.

But it was disconnected to young people:

so the Tate Modern was built.

And it was not decided to create
a new museum, quite the opposite:

an existing structure was used

and transformed it into a museum
of contemporary art.

And now, all the young people

are coming to visit this factory.

Young people of age
but also of brain, of course.

Let’s talk about Barcelona,
also a very interesting city,

with many rhythms and problems.

When they suggested the idea
to make a new museum for contemporary art,

they didn't put it
on the most prestigious square.

They took it and brought it,
and created it,

right in the middle
of a very problematic environment,

both from a social
and economic perspective.

And with this investment everything -

not all the problems,
but many problems have been solved.

And then one must
always quote the Bilbao effect.

I visited Bilbao,

and I can say that it wasn't
a nice city, the opposite,

I do not want to say bad words.

But this brilliant idea
of bringing a museum,

with a great name as Guggenheim,
right into the city,

and then creating an architecture
that is a point of attraction itself,

changed the life in the city.

If you go to Bilbao today,
you'll find not just tourists

but a city that's completely awakened.

Wonderful.

My last thought:

now we understand

that you can awaken with art, every day.

From the biggest [town] to the smallest.

But what I would like to give you is,
somewhat as a message,

that this is your right.

When they draw the universal human rights,

after the World War II,

they also added article 27.

You can read it:

it is a right for us to participate,

to have access to contemporaneity,
to have access to creativity.

So let's exercise this right.

Thank you.

(Applause)