Crisis in the Art World: Galleries Close, but the System Pretends Nothing Is Wrong
The art world faces systemic crisis as Air de Paris closes and Pace Gallery drastically cuts staff, with CEO Marc Glimcher calling the system "broken" and "impossible to repair." Yet the sector largely ignores these warning signs, continuing business as usual. The article criticizes contemporary art's indifference to real-world context, arguing that even when art addresses current issues, it remains detached and self-referential. It also laments the decline of art criticism in Italy, suggesting that criticism was deliberately suffocated and is now missed. The piece invokes Carla Lonzi's 1969 "Autoritratto" and her concept of creativity as a path to belonging, contrasting it with today's superficial activism ("artivismo"), which the author dismisses as ineffective and outdated. The author, Christian Caliandro, reflects on the extraordinary times producing ordinary art.
Key facts
- Air de Paris gallery has closed due to bankruptcy.
- Pace Gallery has drastically reduced its staff.
- Pace Gallery CEO Marc Glimcher described the art system as 'broken' and 'impossible to repair'.
- The article argues the art world is willfully ignoring signs of structural crisis.
- Contemporary art is criticized for being indifferent to real-world context.
- The debate on art criticism in Italy resurfaces, with critics accused of inadequacy.
- The author claims art criticism was deliberately marginalized and is now missed.
- Carla Lonzi's 1969 'Autoritratto' is cited as a model for genuine engagement with art.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Air de Paris
- Pace Gallery
- Artribune
Locations
- Italy