Despite vocal criticism from intellectuals and left-wing politicians, the director of the Museion in Bolzano/Bozen, in the provincial capital of the German-speaking region of South Tyrol, stands by her decision to turn off the free WiFi, available to patrons of the institute.
On Wednesday, the Daily Sabah reported that museum director Letizia Ragaglia claimed the free Wi-Fi had led to some “unpleasant situations” involving migrants all through December.
Speaking to the German news agency DPA, according to ArtNet news, Ragaglia said, “I stand by this decision, which I find legitimate,” adding that the museum had opened its doors to refugees and migrants since April to allow them to get in touch with relatives. But Ragaglia said that in the past few weeks, “the situation got a bit out of hand.”
The director told reporters that some migrants, mistaking the museum for a shelter, have tried to sleep in the museum, while many more were using the restrooms for personal hygiene. Ragaglia has asked authorities to provide centers for the refugees and migrants, or at least, increase police presence at the museum, but the requests went unheeded.
It was stressed that the suspension of Wi-Fi services was only “temporary,” primarily because of reduced staff during the holiday season. The director said that starting January 7, Wi-Fi would be restricted to a specific area of the museum, or a password may be introduced, saying, “we will give it to anyone who asks, obviously.”
The closing down of WiFi services has provided a lot of fodder for local politicians trying to capitalize on the handling of the migrant crisis. It seems the only people who supported the museum’s actions were right-wing politicians who openly applauded the decision.
Filippo Maturi, a member of the far-right Northern League, posted on his Facebook page: “Finally, after we protested for months and tried several avenues, something is being done.”
The Museion is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Bozen, in South Tyrol, Italy.
