Once the summer of my first year came around, just like most Bocconi students, Italian or not, I, Gabriella, scrambled to find some type of internship experience to put on my CV. Being an international student without any connections in Milan’s art world, or Italy’s for the matter, I did the reasonable thing and went back home. The Museum of Modern Art of Bogota, also known as MAMBO, had just gotten a new Italian curator and they were willing to accept a student for a few months; the perfect opportunity to get some first experience and some connections for next summer — I was sold.
20+ hours of traveling and 3 flights later I found myself starting my first internship at one of the most important museums in my country. Getting to the museum on my first day was definitely nerve racking, and I had so many expectations as to what my first job experience would be like. Soon, however, I realised that my “job”,as the intern for the museography and research department, mainly consisted of doing translation, copywriting, and the odd ghost writing assignment. It also consisted of long periods of time without anything to do, as I didn’t know the collection and exhibitions well enough to be entrusted more important work, I often ended up with the tasks everyone couldn’t bother to do.
Although it was monotonous at times, I slowly started to gain more responsibilities as time went on and was able to explore other areas of the museum: I started working with the conservation department and got to see the museums’ extensive collection, a collection that unfortunately goes unseen as the museum does mostly temporary exhibitions of both Colombian and international artists. I helped with the installation of a site-specific work by Mexican artist Betsabee Romero, welcomed guests at a Gala fundraising event, and edited and wrote texts for the museum’s exhibition catalogues; it was like being a little fish but in an equally small pond, and truly an experience that I wouldn’t have gotten in a a bigger institution.
But even though I was able to do so much, I also learned about the museum’s struggles and the ways in which it is run. It is given a budget by the government every year that is used up quickly, as the museum only shows temporary exhibitions; these are costly when it comes to bringing any international artist, and a lack of space prevents them from having a permanent collection that they are convinced people won’t want to come back to see, even though it boasts some important works . A collection of more than 2000 photographs, sculptures, and paintings that is entrusted to only 3 people to catalogue, maintain, and store in its entirety. The staff is experienced and passionate about the work, but a limited budget only offers them low salaries that unfortunately lead to continuous changes. For example, before hiring their current chief curator, the museum only had guest curators, leading to both high costs and a lack of a clear vision for their goal as an institution.
All things considered, I am incredibly grateful for the experience I was able to have, as it helped me gain a well-rounded insight into the inner workings of a museum, and allowed me to understand more clearly what type of field I would want to work in in the future. But It was disheartening to see what is supposed to be a very prestigious institution struggling to get by, painting a clear picture of the lack of importance given to arts and culture in developing countries like Colombia. It seems like carving a space for the arts in countries that continuously leave them on the sidelines is still an uphill battle.
