Christian Caliandro argues contemporary art has lost touch with reality

In an opinion piece on Artribune, Christian Caliandro argues that contemporary art has become disconnected from urgent global issues, simulating engagement through performative activism while avoiding real-world crises like the genocide in Gaza. He criticizes the art world's indifference, citing Massive Attack's July 2025 statement that "Artists are not the story. Gaza is the story." Caliandro references Ivan Carozzi's concept of "performative activism" and Paola Caridi's critique of the Re-Imagine Peace festival in Florence directed by Noa and Mira Awad, which he calls a "makeup" operation that ignores reality. He also discusses Michele Serra's recent defense of a common European army in Repubblica, countered by Caridi's argument that military force is subordinate to politics. Caliandro insists that art must not serve as a conscience-cleansing tool but should confront uncomfortable truths, urging the art world to redirect its resources toward witnessing and understanding ongoing atrocities.