April 24, 2026
It's no surprise that Miami-born Micky Wolfson fell for the Italian city of Genoa. Both port cities, Miami and Genoa are shaped by trade, commerce, and cultural exchange across international networks. Micky went on to found sister institutions in each: The Wolfsonian and The Wolfsoniana, respectively. This post explores the connection between the institutions through a short video introduction to the Genoa museum, first presented in our installation La Superba: Genoa and The Wolfsoniana.
The conversation that follows, offering deeper context about the institution's founding, is adapted from a moderated conversation between Wolfsoniana curators Matteo Fochessati and Anna Vyazemtseva, along with Wolfsonian chief curator Silvia Barisione, held for our Director's Circle members last fall.
This post is the first in a series marking The Wolfsonian’s 30th anniversary, highlighting institutional stories.
Q&A with Matteo, Anna, and Silvia
How did The Wolfsoniana come to be, and when did you each first enter its orbit?
Matteo: The story of The Wolfsoniana in Genoa began in the late '80s, when Micky decided to open an Italian branch of The Wolfsonian. Micky was known as an unconventional collector who collected those works that no one at the time was interested in.
I met Micky through my professor at the time, Franco Sborgi—he had a very similar cultural approach to Micky. At that time, I thought I would continue in academia, but this meeting changed my life. I first worked with Micky alone, then Silvia Barisione and Gianni Franzone arrived. The first years were very interesting because we built everything from nothing: first the warehouse, then the cataloging, the research, and finally the museum which opened in Nervi in 2005. And then, in 2007, Micky donated the collection to the city of Genoa.
Silvia: I also met Micky through Professor Sborgi, who has been a wonderful mentor for Matteo, Gianni, and me. It was the end of 1991. In 2011, I came to work at The Wolfsonian, where I've been ever since.
Anna: When I arrived at The Wolfsoniana three years ago, I already knew it from my academic work. For me it was the perfect place because it connects art and architecture, which are my fields. I applied for the assistant curator position and moved to Genoa from Rome. It was a radical change, but it was worth it.
Micky's stamp can be felt keenly in both institutions. Tell us more about that.
Matteo: From the beginning, Micky told me that the collection in Genoa was connected with the one in Miami. They have the same philosophy. The difference is that The Wolfsoniana keeps mostly Italian art and material, but the intellectual foundation is the same. They were born from the same mind, same philosophy, same cultural approach.
Anna: I would say both institutions are about finding the future in the past. They reflect Micky's curiosity, critical reflection, and irony. The collections trace innovations born from the 1800s and 1900s—technical progress, political changes, international exhibitions, and more.
Silvia: Both collections concentrate on the period between the Second Industrial Revolution and the Second World War. While Genoa centers on Italy, Miami reflects a broader, international scope. Micky defines himself as a preservationist rather than a collector. He preserves the past to understand the present.
Micky often divided objects between the two collections and institutions. What are some examples of these connecting threads?
Matteo: As a child, Micky always said that he wanted a castle and a train. He eventually acquired both, purchasing Castello Mackenzie in Genoa (designed by Gino Coppedè) and, in the 1980s, a Littorina train. Produced by FIAT beginning in the 1930s, the Littorina was known for its innovative aerodynamic design, shaped by the function of the vehicle itself. Its name derives from Mussolini's maiden voyage on the new vehicle to Littoria (now Latina) in 1932. Micky's Littorina was presented at Genoa Brignole Station and at Milano Centrale Station, then sent to Florida, where it was later damaged by Hurricane Andrew. The Rahmi M. Koç Transport Museum in Istanbul offered to restore it, and it has been on long-term loan there ever since. It has traveled a long way for a vehicle designed for short regional journeys!
Silvia: The Wolfsonian holds La pietà umana by Genoese artist Alberto H. Gagliardo. Its study is in the Genoa collection, and we decided to borrow it to display it next to the painting in La Superba. The work reflects a recurrent theme in the collections: labor. Gagliardo depicts the aftermath of a tragic accident in the port of Genoa, referencing the religious subject of the Pietà, Mary holding the dead body of Jesus. The overall atmosphere of the painting reflects the contemporary Italian Neorealist films, which focused on the hard struggles of the working class in postwar Italy.
Matteo: Both institutions preserve materials from the Milano Centrale train station. Architect Ulisse Stacchini won the design competition for the project in 1906, but it wasn't completed until 1931 due to the war. As a result, the final design differs from the original plans, though it retains a sense of eclectic monumentalism. This is evident in both the façade design, preserved by The Wolfsoniana, and the waiting lounge furniture, which, in the case of the armchairs, still retains its original skai (faux leather) upholstery.
What's your favorite Micky story?
Anna: Every time Micky comes to Genoa, it's an adventure. During interviews, he often introduces unexpected, unrelated ideas, such as bringing up one's horoscope, which leave journalists confused and Micky amused at having created a "surrealist" conversation. More recently, in Chiavari, a small town not far from Genoa, he convinced local police to open a no-traffic area and escort us to the home of Rosalba Falcone, daughter of the famous sculptor Francesco Falcone. We arrived in a kind of presidential motorcade.
Matteo: Two things I have always enjoyed doing with Micky: traveling with him and attending negotiations for the purchase of artworks. When traveling with him, you must always be ready for unexpected changes of plan, and there are no limits.
But the most entertaining thing is when he would visit artists' families who were reluctant to show him works linked to fascist propaganda. Once, at the home of an elderly Tuscan sculptor, he wandered around the studio, opening every door until he found, in a long-closed room, a dust-covered sculpture of a mother with her son in a Balilla uniform. Micky finally said: this is it!
Silvia: Traveling and shopping with Micky are both extraordinary experiences. I will never forget a road trip to Asheville, North Carolina, during the summer of 2020, when we were stuck in Florida due to COVID and Micky could not fly back to Europe. When we finally reached the city limits, he got into the driver's seat and, from that moment, started pointing out all the important landmarks, including places from his childhood when he spent hurricane seasons in Asheville.
Banner image inspired by: Poster, Genova e la Riviera Italiana [Genoa and the Italian Riviera], 1931. Aurelio Craffonara, designer. ENIT (Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo), Rome, publisher. Barabino & Graeve, Genoa, printer. The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XX1990.3172.