Naples G7 Culture, what the new minister Giuli said

“Culture is the identity and soul of a nation and it is imperative to protect it from the threats of our time”. This is what the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, said on the sidelines of the first day of the G7 Culture in Naples. “The war on the Ukrainian people is also causing an indiscriminate attack on Ukrainian cultural heritage. There are now many cases of churches, museums, theaters, historical buildings or other places of culture that have been targeted by Russian bombs. And numerous works of art were stolen or destroyed during military operations.”

“This G7 was deliberately opened with the intervention of the Ukrainian Minister of Culture, Mykola Tochytskyi, so that it was clear to everyone that the agenda does concern culture, with all its implications, but it starts from the fundamentals: liberal democracies around the world must be compact and united for the protection of the cultural heritage of an attacked country that is part of our European and world culture” said the minister, handing over to his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Tochytskyi, the “medal of the State Mint that commemorates the two years of resistance of the people of the Ukrainian nation to the invasion of Russia”.

Artificial intelligence

“Our nations are leaders in this historic transformation and it is essential that the G7 find convergence on the most appropriate tools and methods to govern the effects of artificial intelligence on cultural and creative industries,” says Minister of Culture Giuli. “The unregulated use of AI raises serious ethical questions and produces devastating impacts on the economic and social level.”

“AI applications open up new horizons and produce indisputable benefits for the cultural system. Thanks to them – he continues – it is infinitely easier to decipher the content of ancient texts. Or to carry out investigative research on stolen works of art traded online. We believe that the development process of this technology must put the individual, his rights, his creativity at the center”.

Illicit trafficking of cultural goods

“The fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods is an ever-thriving market, often managed by real criminal organizations, which rapes the cultural heritage of every nation” underlines the new minister.

Climate emergency

“In this G7 Culture we will address another threat to cultural heritage that is increasingly taking on the characteristics of a real emergency: climate change and natural disasters, which expose cultural heritage to the risk of degradation or destruction,” explains Minister Giuli. “We wanted an ambitious agenda for this ministerial meeting. The themes I have illustrated to you are of particular relevance to our cultural systems. On these issues, citizens, cultural enterprises, artists and cultural operators are asking us for concrete actions.”

Soon meeting Giuli-Manfredi on projects started by Sangiuliano

According to reports, a meeting will soon be held between the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, and the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, to take stock of the projects, such as the hostel for the poor, left as a legacy by former minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.