Art historian Hollein: "American politics is relatively irrelevant"
Photo: Lelanie Foster / The New York Times / Redux / laifMax Hollein, 51, a native of Austria and former director of the Städel Museum and the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, has been head of the Metropolitan Museum on New York's Fifth Avenue, the largest museum in the USA, since 2018. The collections are among the most important in the world, including archaeological treasures and works of art from all over the world. In March it was closed because of the pandemic.
The museum's income is falling more dramatically than expected, says Hollein. It does not exclude the possibility of selling works of art if there is a further decline in sales. The house has been closed since March, and shortly before reopening, he admits that selling art "could be a tool that we actually use".
The fact that museums in the USA bring works to the market has so far only been approved by the country's main museum association if it is used to finance purchases of other pieces. Because of the pandemic and its effects, this rule has been relaxed, and such proceeds can now be used to pay salaries or storage costs, for example.
Read the whole interview here:
SPIEGEL: Mr. Hollein, two years ago you started one of the most coveted jobs in your industry. As the director of the Metropolitan Museum, you should lead the traditional house into a bright future. Now you have to get through a historic crisis. How do you deal with that?
Hollein: We are all currently wondering what is important and whether the priorities are still right. So this is a difficult and momentous time, but in a way this crisis is not a turning point for me.
SPIEGEL: Why not?
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