Federico Frediani

Federico Frediani

Federico Frediani can best be described as an art diplomat. A Florentine lawyer by profession, counting the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles and a selection of American universities in Florence among his clients, his interests and passion for both his hometown and Southern California have led him to hold many

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Thu 09 Sep 2010 12:00 AM

Federico Frediani can best be described as an art diplomat. A Florentine lawyer by profession, counting the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles and a selection of American universities in Florence among his clients, his interests and passion for both his hometown and Southern California have led him to hold many other titles. His most recent designation is that of commendatore, a sort of Italian knightship Frediani was awarded for his cultural contributions to Florence and Los Angeles. He currently lives in both Florence and Los Angeles, and his passionate involvement in the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles has led him to become the veritable Florentine cultural ambassador to L.A., organizing important Italian events in Southern California and promoting Florence. Such events have ranged from Michelangelo exhibits in Getty museums to the ‘importation’ of figures of the Californian art scene to this city, including the likes of painters Dan McClearly , Kathleen Dune and other contemporary stars of American art.

His latest challenge was that of being among the mediators in the ongoing dispute between the Italian government and American Getty museum complex. The Getty was for years embroiled in a highly publicized controversy about the methods by which many of the most valuable antiquities in the collection were obtained, and the Getty has since returned 39 objects to Italy. Among the allegedly looted pieces is the Victorious Youth, a 2,500-year-old bronze widely attributed to Lysippos. The bronze statue was fished out of international waters off the Italian coast in 1964; the question of its ownership remains unresolved.

Last year, the J. Paul Getty Museum and the National Archaeological Museum of Florence entered a long-term collaboration to loan masterpieces of antiquity to the Getty in the coming years. Last year, the world-renowned Chimera d’Arezzo spent six months in the Getty Villa as the cornerstone of a wildly popular antiquity exhibition. The J. Paul Getty Museum recently assigned Ronald Spogli, American ambassador to Italy during the Bush administration, as a member of the J. Paul Getty Museum board of trustees. ‘Sending the Chimera d’Abruzzo to the Getty Villa was an immense challenge, what with permits, insurance and its invaluable cultural weight. Having Ronald Spogli at our side is very important,’ commented Frediani. The accord is described as the ‘silver lining’ to the conflict, and represents the start of what Frediani hopes is just the beginning of an ongoing partnership between his two home towns.

‘What I hope for most is that this accord will lead to a deeper understanding of Etruria in the United States; it’s an entirely unknown epoch to Americans,’ commented Frediani. He is to head a series of initiatives meant to illuminate this historical period to Americans, including a project that will enable American students to undertake an Etrurian archaeological dig in Italy and the foundation of the Amici della Chimera association, which seeks to further Italian and American antiquity-sharing and increase awareness of antiquities abroad.

 

 

How is the controversy surrounding the bronzes coming along?

 

Well, the controversy stemmed from the fact that in the past, the Getty museum was deemed to have illegally bought many pieces in their collection, many of which today no longer belong to the Getty. For quite a while, the Getty and Italian government were mortal enemies! You couldn’t even say the name ‘Getty’ in the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles. This agreement is the first form of dialogue between the two parties in years, and we hope to keep that door open. The accord as it stands now is between the archaeological museum in Florence, other individual museums in Sicily and the Getty, and constitutes a cross-border ‘sharing’ of works, including pieces from the Getty that will be shown in Florence over time. The ideal situation, in my opinion, would be an official recognition that the bronzes belong to Italy but that they should remain in the possession of the Getty complex for the next two or three hundred years. We’ll see what happens. The ongoing question of the Victorious Youth does not mar the rapport in any way. The Getty and Italy are good friends now!

 

What is your take on the question of art disputes such as that surrounding the Getty bronzes? To whom do these works belong?

 

The answer to any question about ‘stolen’ art varies from case to case: there have been countless different scenarios. It’s one thing if a work was stolen then sold on the black market. In the case of the bronzes, the Getty fairly bought and paid for them, which immediately sets this case apart from others. They were not stolen, but fished out of international waters near Greece, where they spent two years. They even spent time in Switzerland before ending up in Los Angeles. Italy couldn’t prove with absolute confidence that the statues belonged this country, as perhaps Greece could with the Pantheon panels at the British Museum. These works spent a very brief amount of time in Italy. On the other hand, there are often cases in which the ‘owner’ country makes a very persuasive argument, as when the work at hand holds an important place in a country’s cultural heritage and has a particularly salient symbolic value.

 

How would you describe the Italian community in Los Angeles?

 

It’s a bit like the American expatriate community here, in that there are those who have adapted to the lifestyle and those who have not. There’s the ‘old school’ of immigrants who, after 40 years, still don’t speak a word of English; in Los Angeles there’s a tradition of expats who aren’t very well integrated. It’s an interesting group that seems neither to belong to Italy or to the States. However, there’s also a more ‘modern’ crowd. Los Angeles is a dynamic cultural capital, it immediately welcomes novelty, it’s stimulating and acutely aware of modernity. The newer school of immigrants takes Italy’s modernity to L.A. with it, whether food, fashion, design or automobiles. They love L.A. because it’s a city that appreciates their imports. Many find a great community in the Italian Cultural Institute, its film festivals and buzzing mailing list. It’s a great place for local Italians and Italophiles to exchange the latest.

 

What is it you miss most when you’re not in Florence?

 

Perhaps it is the continuity of Florence I miss most-nothing changes! When you live in Florence it is an aspect of the lifestyle that becomes suffocating and claustrophobic, but when you spend an extended period in ever-changing L.A., the continuum of glamour and intrigues, where aristocracy is defined according to whose parents you know, you can lose your identity pretty quickly. While here you long for some fresh air, and there there’s almost too much. Everything is always new! In Florence you go out for dinner and the waiters, maître d’ and diners are always the same and recognize you immediately. It’s more intimate.

 

 

Don’t miss the chance to see the Chimera and other priceless masterpieces of antiquity at the National Archaeological Museum. For more information visit www.firenzemusei.it/archeologico

 

To learn about the Amici della Chimera association visit www.amicidellachimera.net

 

 

Going to Los Angeles?

 The Getty Villa: www.getty.edu/visit

The Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles: www.iiclosangeles.esteri.it

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