ROME (AFP):
Rome’s MAXXI art museum said Thursday it wanted a bigger role on the world stage with the appointment of its new Chinese-born artistic director Hou Hanru. The contemporary art and architecture museum, housed in a building designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, has been plagued with financial troubles. But museum director Giorgia Melandri said it was reducing its dependence on public subsidies and managing to allocate more resources to core activities.