The Bardo National Museum in Tunis, where 23 people were killed in a terrorist attack in March, is emerging from tragedy with strengthened links to Italian institutions. (Four Italian tourists died in the shootings.) The mayor of the Tunisian capital, Seifallah Lasram, signed an agreement for cross-cultural collaboration with the mayor of the city of Turin in October. As part of the partnership, the Bardo and Turin’s Museo di Arte Orientale, which houses the municipal Islamic art collection, are expected to plan exchanges and joint exhibitions.
Florence’s Uffizi Gallery is also considering lending works, according to our sister newspaper Il Giornale dell’Arte. The president of Tuscany, Enrico Rossi, said that the idea was “a good response in the fight against terrorism”. Eike Schmidt, the Uffizi’s director, says plans are “in a very early stage”.
Meanwhile, the island of Lampedusa in Sicily is due to host works from the Bardo in an exhibition called Carthage Changes Europe. The show, produced by the non-profit First Social Life, is to open this spring. The Bardo inaugurated its restored Carthage gallery of Roman sculptures in November.
