Open letter from the Museum’s Director

Dear All,

This year was supposed to be a year of fundamental importance for us.
2020 marked the 30th anniversary of the Museum’s existence, and what would have been the 100th birthday of the museum’s founder – Gottfried Matthaes.
Not only did 2020 mark these two milestones, it was also the year of the establishment of the museum’s foundation to fight against forgery in Art.

Unfortunately though, this year turned out to be the year of forced closures… something I had never expected would happen.
Since 1990, the year of its establishment, the Museum of Art and Science (MAS) has grown and expanded, always and only with its own strength: not a Lira then, nor a Euro today was given to us by the Government or by any Institutions. And we are extremely proud of this. Being economically independent meant, to us, to be able to freely prioritise the initiative that we believed was the most beautiful and interesting. It is this very modus operandi that has enabled us to become a very peculiar entity, with remarkable collections and a unique cultural and educational scientific laboratory. The same scientific laboratory which is the heart and the mission of the MAS, conceived to help Art lovers in the arduous task of identifying the fake.

Modern and advanced scientific instruments, decades of experience, continuous research and the strong passion for our job made our laboratory one of the most esteemed and recognised, increasingly, even at an international level. The only flaw: analysis prices too low! A fact incomprehensible to many, but we are an entity driven by passion and love for authenticating art, not backed by large corporations, but by the funds left by its great founder.

A determined work ethic combined with ingeniousness, my father’s personality allowed him to be a man of success; his love for art and his passion for travelling allowed him to create fascinating and eclectic collections; his perseverance in the pursuit of justice and truth has lead him to fight the spread of falsehood in the art world : these are the foundations of the Museum’s essence and beliefs.

The Covid-19 pandemic, and the terrible consequences it has brought with it, not only prevent the possibility of carrying out the usual activities of the museum, including those that support us the most, unfortunately it has also affected our economic resources, depleting us of what we needed to survive.

We find ourselves in the lion’s Jaws. But we will not be at its mercy.
Our hand and our heart will always belong to Love of Justice, for the Truth, for Beauty and for Art.

Stay safe

Peter Matthaes