Uffizi director calls on museums to confront society’s ‘toxic’ past

Eike Schmidt says it is also crucial to highlight issues of today rather than simply glorifying artists

The world-famous Uffizi gallery in Florence displays an unrivalled collection of works by Renaissance greats including Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. However, its director believes that is not enough, and says it is now crucial for museums to play a role in highlighting the issues of today and confront the toxic social structures" of the past rather than simply glorifying its artists.

Eike Schmidt, the director of Uffizi Galleries since 2015, has a reputation for modernisation and in a dramatic shift from the norm, he hosted an exhibition before Christmas aimed at reflecting the violence women have suffered at the hands of male perpetrators - beginning with one of the greatest sculptors of the 17th century, Gian Lorenzo Bernini.