The Gallerie dell’Accademia grew out of the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice, which dates back to 1750, and contains the world’s largest collection of Venetian paintings from 1200 to 1800, including works by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese. In recent years, it has been faced with the challenge of an increasingly globalised visitor profile and a broader cultural shift towards a preference for contemporary art. Since 2017, Tagliaferro has worked with the Gallerie as its first ever academic advisor, helping them to meet these challenges by revising their communication strategies to engage with new, global audiences whilst still retaining the integrity of their cultural context.

Tagliaferro informed the refurbishment of seven rooms in the galleries, developing new labels, guidance sheets and fixed information panels, in both English and Italian, to accompany the artworks. This has crucially contextualised the artworks for an international audience, fostering a deeper connection between how modern audiences view the paintings today and how the paintings were originally seen at their creation. His work has incorporated a redevelopment of the Accademia’s website, with the creation of virtual thematic itineraries through the collections and entries devoted to specific artworks, enabling visitors across the world to engage with the gallery in a site-specific way, without having to be physically present.

His work with Save Venice Inc, a US-based philanthropic organisation responding to the unique risks posed to Venice by flooding, has contributed to the funding strategy for, and restoration of, multiple conservation projects in Venice since 2015. Tagliaferro’s research has directly informed the work of conservators and enabled Save Venice to explain the importance of at-risk artworks in their original settings to private donors, raising vital funds for the preservation of some of Venice’s most important artwork.