Newsletter

August 29, 2022

Greetings! After a brief hiatus during the Ferragosto season, we at the Voice of Business are excited to kick off Season 3 of our series of English language exclusive interviews with Italian Business, Political and Cultural leaders.

 

We are also delighted to introduce our Season 3 host: Gigi Stone Woods! Gigi is an award-winning, national TV host, news anchor, correspondent and producer. She has worked as an anchor and producer for ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and Bloomberg TV.  She creates, writes and produces her own programming.  She has interviewed hundreds of notable CEOs, politicians and celebrities, and has reported live on everything from Presidential elections and the world’s biggest economic stories to the Oscars and NY fashion week.

For our innaugural Season 3 interview, Gigi speaks with Marina Pugliese, Director of Milan's Museum of Cultures, a brand new museum dedicated to interdisciplinary and ethnographic research on global cultures along with Milan's central role as a historical crossroads for world culture and commerce.

 

In Alexis Christoforous's accompanying article below find out about how the museum was designed by a famous architect to be 'hidden' in an old bus factory, its mission to celebrate the many historical & artistic influences that Milan has both absorbed and projected across the globe as well as to face some of the more troubling aspects of Italy's colonial past, and much, much more.

x
 
Play Picture-in-Picture
00:00 00:00

By Alexis Christoforous

 

Milan’s Museum of Cultures is not your typical Italian museum. Framed by courtyards and passages, renowned British architect David Chipperfield created a space that doesn’t have a traditional facade in an Italian square. 

 

“Milan’s Museum of Cultures was created by the architect with the idea of creating an inner square,” the museum’s director, Marina Pugliese, told The Voice of Business. “This place is free. It is a place for meetings, for encounters, and it gives back the idea of having a square inside the museum itself.”

 

Chipperfield’s other projects include the Neues Museum in Berlin and the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in northern England.

Dedicated to the interdisciplinary research of world cultures, Pugliese said Milan’s Museum of Cultures takes its inspiration from civic ethnographic collections using the mediums of visual, performing and sound art, design and costume.

 

Opened in 2015, the museum is a public-private partnership between the Milan City Council and 24 ORE Cultura. It occupies the former Ansaldo factory, in the creative district surrounding Via Tortona and accommodates the Center for Advanced Studies of Visual Art, the Center of Non-European Cultures and the New Archaeological Museum.

 

“As the city of Milan, we run the collections and 24 ORE Cultura runs the big exhibitions,” said Pugliese. 

 

Other buildings in the neighborhood have been converted into studios, workshops, and new creative spaces.

 

“Here, La Scala, the opera house has its lab for instance,” Pugliese said. “We also have Base, which is a co-working space for business, as well as  a place for youngsters to explore art.”

 

 

x
 
Play Picture-in-Picture
00:00 00:00

Pugliese gave The Voice of Business an inside look at some of the ongoing exhibits at the museum that illustrate the rich relationship between Milan and other cultures, including exhibits showcasing early Italian colonies in northern Africa and African presence in Italian paintings.

 

“I believe it's important to say that our collections are not colonial collections, because our collections reflect the history of the city, but we thought it was important to acknowledge that Italy had colonies,” Pugliese said. “So we asked for a loan of all these objects, which are military garments from the colonies, to the museum of history in order to talk about this part. We cannot talk about Africa forgetting that we also had a colonial past and acknowledging what Italians have done.”

 

The museum also examines the special relationship Italy has with China. Pugliese explained that the Chinese were among the first international communities to live in Italy but that the two also have a historic “market” relationship for porcelain and silk. 

 

“What's interesting about porcelain is that not only were Italians buying and trading objects, but also there was an influence of the Italian taste on Chinese manufacturing. So you would have objects which basically are produced in China with a taste of Italian beauty.”

 

x
 
Play Picture-in-Picture
00:00 00:00

There is also a special collection of works from Peru dedicated to Italian explorer and archaeologist Antonio Raimondi. “He moved to Peru and began digging archeological sites there,” Pugliese explained. “And then he naturalized in Peru and he married a Peruvian woman. He's so important that Peru has a stamp with his face and a museum dedicated to Antonio Raimondi.”

Other exhibits include works from the late French-Russian artist Marc Chagall that explores his Jewish identity and life in Russia as well as works from the contemporary American photographer David LaChapelle.

Pugliese said Italian museums are special because they “mirror Italy as a whole” highlighting not only the country’s beauty, but its connection to the rest of the world, adding, “Beauty is essential for living. Beauty is what gives us a reason to go on in moments of difficulty, art and beauty are lifesavers.”

For Gigi's full interview with Marina Pugliese please click on the link below!

Milan's Museum of Cultures Looks Back at Ethno/Cultural History through a State-of-the-Art Lens

In Gigi Stone Woods's interview, Director Marina Pugliese tells the Voice of Business how the museum was designed by a famous architect to be 'hidden' in an old bus factory, its mission to celebrate the many influences that the Milanese have had across the globe as well as to face some of the more troubling aspects of Italy's colonial past, and much, much more.

And...In case you missed earlier articles and interviews from Season 2 you can find them here!

How this Leading Italian University is Building the Business Leaders of Tomorrow

By Alexis Christoforous Over the last decade, entrepreneurship has emerged as a popular major at universities around the world. For Italy's LUISS University, entrepreneurship has been a tentpole of its curriculum long before it became a trend. "Entrepreneurship is really a core element of this university," Raffaele Marchetti, deputy rector of international affairs at LUISS University, told The Voice of Business.

Law Firm Principal on Why the Pandemic Didn't Slow Down Robust M&A Sector in Italy

By Alexis Christoforous Corporate deal making remains "robust" throughout the pandemic as companies look for opportunities to grow and put their hordes of cash to work. "M&A activity has been literally booming," Filippo Modulo, managing partner at the Italian law firm Chiomenti, told The Voice of Business.

CEO of Newest Corp on Making Italy an Investment Destination

By Alexis Christoforous Food. Furniture. Fashion. Fast cars. These four iconic industries are what Italy is known for the world over, but according to Italian businessman Fernando Napolitano, they only scratch the surface when it comes to Italian industry and ingenuity. "These industries are a small percentage of our GDP," Napolitano tells The Voice of Business.

VC Firm in Rome Has Global Vision For Startup Accelerator Focused On Green Tech & AI

By Alexis Christoforous When serial entrepreneur and angel investor, Luigi Capello, founded the venture capital firm LVenture Group in 2012, he wanted to help develop the best startups in Italy and scale them globally. Fast forward ten years and LVenture Group is a holding company listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (MTA) with over 90 companies in its portfolio.

CEO of Italy's Enel X on the Future of Energy

By Alexis Christoforous As one of the world's largest utilities, the Italian energy giant Enel provides energy to half a billion people every day. Enel X is the advanced energy services global business line of Enel.

Why This Private Equity Fund is Betting Big on Italian Fintech

By Alexis Christoforous Since its launch in 2018, the Italian private equity firm FSI has invested over $600 million in the fintech space, and founder and CEO Maurizio Tamagnini tells The Voice of Business that more investments are to come.

Tech Entrepreneur Wants to Make Italy the Next Silicon Valley

As a serial entrepreneur, Fabrizio Capobianco has successfully founded and sold at least half a dozen tech companies in his decades long career. Now, at 51-years old, he is ready to prime the next generation of entrepreneurs in his home country of Italy. "I want to do something for the country," Capobianco told The Voice of Business.

Master Brand Designer On Why Italy Needs a 'Ministry of Beauty'

Maurizio di Robilant, President & CEO of Robilant Associati speaks with Alexis Christoforous about his firm's quest to find each company's essence and soul, the importance of having an empathic relationship with his clients, the challenges of selling the idea of Italy to Italians, and his belief that there is a unique competitive identity which gives every country a marketing edge.

Milan Restaurateur's Passion for Local Authenticity is a Recipe for Culinary Success

Chef and Owner of La Brisa Restaurant, Antonio Facciolo speaks with the Voice of Business about why he prioritizes consistency and building a loyal clientele over a gourmet menu, his mission to serve the ancient Magenta/St.

Broadcaster Fights to Protect Milan's Duomo and Reflects on Mediaset's Pioneering Television Journey

In conversation with Alexis Christoforous, Mediaset chairman Fedele Confalonieri looks back on his 50-year journey as head of Italy's largest commercial broadcaster, his lasting bond with childhood friend Silvio Berlusconi, his resolve to keep the Duomo in good physical and financial condition, why he chooses to listen to and play classical music instead of Tweeting, and more.

The CEO of Engineering on How the Metaverse Will Revolutionize work and Play

By Alexis Christoforous The metaverse may be in its infancy, but Maximo Ibarra, CEO of the Rome, Italy-based digital technology company Engineering is preparing for the future with immersive virtual apps. Ibarra tells The Voice of Business that Engineering is pouring resources into innovative technologies in the world of healthcare, finance, fashion, and retail to guide its clients through their journey into "the digital business transformation."

Enel X Way Charges Up EVs for Big Business Partners in the US

By Alexis Christoforous Enel X Way is making a big push to expand its network of electric vehicle charging stations across North America. The global smart e-mobility platform of Italy's Enel Group has partnered with U.S.-based Stable Software to provide businesses and cities with information on where charging stations are needed most.

Female CEO Steers Italian E-Mobility Firm from Start-up to Motor Valley Leader

By Alexis Christoforous In the heart of Italy's Motor Valley, nestled among auto legends Ferrari, Maserati, and Lamborghini, is the electric motorcycle company Energica. One of the world's leading EV motorcycle manufacturers, Energica recently sold a 70% stake in the family-run business to the U-S based electric vehicle company, Ideanomics (IDEX).

Bologna Business School Teaches 21st Century Innovation in an Ancient Setting

To kick off our new season, host Alexis Christoforous interviews Massimo Bergami, Dean of Bologna Business School about bringing a modern cutting edge approach to higher business learning in a Renaissance villa on an ancient campus.

Discover More

See you next week!

 

Fernando Napolitano,
Founder and CEO

Newest Media     

info@newestcorp.com

Share on social

Share on FacebookShare on X (Twitter)Share on Pinterest

Check out our site