Opinion & reviews

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• Brand e consumatori di cultura: un'opportunità per l'Italia opinion-review

  L'articolo analizza come Nike e Apple abbiano costruito il loro successo promuovendo uno stile di vita culturale, non il prodotto. In Italia, mancano brand che incarnino una…

• Critique of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale's Post-Colonial Approach opinion-review

  Valerio Paolo Mosco critiques the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, arguing it lacks actual architecture and replaces it with didactic, slogan-driven post-colonial narratives. He…

• Sgarbi: Berlusconi's 24,000 artworks were 'so-so' opinion-review

  Vittorio Sgarbi, Italy's Undersecretary for Culture and a longtime political ally of Silvio Berlusconi, commented on the former prime minister's art collection following his…

• Fashion, Animal Rights, and Sustainability: Where Do We Stand? opinion-review

  The article examines the evolving relationship between fashion, animal rights, and sustainability. It recalls activist Marina Ripa di Meana burning her fur coat at La Scala in…

• Il lavoro culturale è un grande bluff? opinion-review

  L'articolo esamina criticamente la definizione di lavoro culturale, contestando le statistiche che affermano che il 6% dell'occupazione totale nell'UE proviene da questo settore.…

• Italian Culture Minister Criticizes Museum Directors' Absence, Sparks Debate on Staff Autonomy opinion-review

  Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano sent a letter to ministry directors criticizing their absence on April 24, a bridge holiday, and inviting them to a working lunch on…

• Griselda Pollock Defends 1974 Women's Exhibition Against Critic opinion-review

  In a letter dated 27 April 1974, art historian Griselda Pollock responded to Caroline Tisdall's negative review of the exhibition 'c.7,500', a show of women artists held in…

• Caroline Tisdall Critiques Lucy Lippard's 1974 Conceptual Art Exhibition in London opinion-review

  In a 1974 Guardian review republished by Afterall in 2012, critic Caroline Tisdall harshly assesses an exhibition of conceptual art by women artists organized by American critic…

• Art as Useless Tools: A Philosophical Critique of Contemporary Art's Efficiency Obsession opinion-review

  Philosopher Alva Noë, in his 2022 book 'Strani strumenti. L’arte e la natura umana' (Einaudi), argues that artworks are 'strange tools'—useless instruments that impose inaction.…

• Free museum Sundays create queues, not cultural access opinion-review

  Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has embraced the monthly free admission Sundays at state museums, celebrating the long queues as a sign of success. However, this…

• Italy's cultural heritage management debate: public vs private control opinion-review

  The article critically examines proposals to increase state control over Italy's cultural heritage, following statements by Salvatore Messina, rector of the Università di Studi…

• Chris Gilbert's Resignation and the Politics of Curatorial Practice opinion-review

  In May 2006, Chris Gilbert resigned from his position at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive after the institution attempted to suppress his curatorial expression of…

• Five ceramic fish in Bernini's Barcaccia: Rome's public art controversy opinion-review

  An installation by Roman artist Giangaetano Patanè placed five ceramic fish in the Barcaccia fountain at Piazza di Spagna, Rome, from May 25 through June 2023. The work, titled…

• Museums' influencer collaborations: a critical look opinion-review

  Italian museums are increasingly partnering with influencers, from top-tier names like Chiara Ferragni to lesser-known figures like The Jackal, Luis Sal, L'Estetista Cinica, and…

• Lesley Lokko's Biennale Architettura 2023: A Snob, Velleitary, and Inconclusive Edition opinion-review

  Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi has expressed his discontent with the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, overseen by Lesley Lokko, labeling it as elitist, wishy-washy, and lacking…

• Propaganda and polemics threaten serious cultural debate in Italy opinion-review

  The article argues that the current Italian government's focus on left-right cultural battles is a distraction from substantive cultural policy. It criticizes the media for…

• Italian Ministry Backs Down on Unified Museum Ticketing System Ad Arte opinion-review

  The Italian Ministry of Culture has reversed its plan to make Ad Arte the exclusive online ticketing platform for state museums. A new communication from the Directorate General…

• Gioia Laura Iannilli on Aesthetics, Design, and Everyday Experience opinion-review

  In an interview with Davide Dal Sasso for Artribune, Gioia Laura Iannilli, a senior researcher specializing in aesthetics at the University of Bologna, shares insights into her…

• Truth and Lies in Contemporary Art: A Philosophical Reflection opinion-review

  Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, reflects on the role of truth in contemporary art. Drawing on Jerzy Grotowski's 1970…

• The Stone in Cervinia ignites debate on architectural correctness opinion-review

  A proposed nine-story residential building in Cervinia, designed by Gianluca Peluffo's firm Peluffo&Partners, has sparked a petition titled 'Fermiamo l'ecomostro di Cervinia' that…

• Pierfrancesco Favino on Under-Capitalization and the Value of Error in Italy's Cultural Industries opinion-review

  In a recent interview, actor and director Pierfrancesco Favino highlighted the severe under-capitalization of Italy's cultural and creative industries (ICC). He noted that a small…

• Fabio Novembre on Playful Architecture and Design opinion-review

  Fabio Novembre, who hails from Lecce and was born in 1966, completed his Architecture degree at Politecnico di Milano in 1992. Since 1994, he has been at the helm of his own…

• Italian art system criticized for lacking meritocracy compared to football opinion-review

  Ludovico Pratesi argues that Italy's contemporary art scene suffers from nepotism and lack of merit, contrasting it with the country's football culture. He notes that historical…

• US Republican Bills Target Drag Shows as Adult Entertainment opinion-review

  Over thirty bills have been introduced across the United States since early 2023 to ban drag shows, often classified as "adult cabaret performances." Republican proponents claim…

• EAM Conference in Lisbon Confronts Eurocentrism in Avant-Garde Studies opinion-review

  From September 1 to 3, 2022, the European Network for Avant-Garde and Modernism Studies (EAM) convened its eighth biennial conference in Lisbon, emphasizing the international…

• Umberto Galimberti: selfie come possesso, bellezza come inquietudine opinion-review

  Il filosofo Umberto Galimberti, intervistato da Silvia Camporesi nel suo studio a Milano, critica la compulsione a fotografare tutto come forma di possesso delle immagini in una…

• Monopoli's Controversial Mermaid Statue by High School Students Sparks Debate on Public Art opinion-review

  A new public sculpture in Monopoli, Italy, has ignited controversy. The statue, a mermaid with exaggerated curves, was created by students of IISS Luigi Russo high school under a…

• Vittorio Sgarbi attacks Milan bike lanes as 'disfiguring' opinion-review

  In a Corriere della Sera interview on April 29, 2023, Italian undersecretary for culture Vittorio Sgarbi criticized Milan's demolition of a 1920s building in Piazza Trento and…

• EU's cultural narrative fails to match reality, argues Artribune opinion-review

  An opinion piece on Artribune argues that the European Union's cultural narrative is disconnected from reality. The EU is primarily presented as an economic project centered on…

• Italy risks losing billions in EU funds due to cultural project mismanagement opinion-review

  Italy stands to forfeit billions from its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) due to shortcomings in the planning of cultural initiatives. Milan has missed out on €12…

• Jeff Koons Balloon Dog Shattered at Art Wynwood: A Critique on Banality opinion-review

  At Art Wynwood in Miami, a woman shattered a Jeff Koons balloon dog sculpture worth $42,000. The incident underscores the art world's fascination with banality, a phenomenon…

• AI-Generated Image Wins Sony World Photography Award, Sparking Debate on Photography's Future opinion-review

  German photographer Boris Eldagsen refused the Sony World Photography Award after revealing his winning image was AI-generated, stating it was not photography and intended to test…

• Fashion as Political Statement: From Craxi's Jeans to Merkel's Blazers opinion-review

  The article explores the relationship between fashion and politics, arguing that clothing serves as a non-verbal communication tool for political messaging. It traces the…

• Italy's tourism-culture model criticized as 'touristification' drains real wealth opinion-review

  Italy's cultural sector is being transformed into a product for tourism, a process the author calls 'touristification.' This does not merely commodify culture but strips the…

• Renato Barilli argues art academies should teach technique, not style opinion-review

  In an article on Artribune, critic and art historian Renato Barilli (born 1935), professor emeritus at the University of Bologna, argues that painting and sculpture should be…

• Milan's Design Week Overshadows Art Week, Calls for Schedule Change opinion-review

  Massimiliano Tonelli argues that Milan's Art Week, scheduled one week before Design Week since 2017, is now being overshadowed by the larger design event. He proposes moving Art…

• Art fairs pivot to cultural production to survive digital disruption opinion-review

  Art fairs are undergoing a structural transformation as the traditional exhibition model becomes obsolete. The pandemic lockdowns and anti-Covid distancing measures dealt a final…

• Carlo Orsi on Art Dealing, History, and the Future of Culture opinion-review

  Carlo Orsi, a prominent Italian antiquarian based in Milan, reflects on his career and the art market in an interview. Born in 1954, he took over his father Alessandro's gallery…

• Venezia valuta vendita di Klimt per finanziare palazzetto dello sport opinion-review

  A Venezia, la proposta di vendere "Giuditta II" di Gustav Klimt, proprietà del Comune, per finanziare il progetto "Bosco dello Sport" (oltre 300 milioni di euro) ha suscitato…

• Italian government's 'catch-all' approach devalues culture opinion-review

  Stefano Monti, writing for Artribune, critiques the Italian government's proliferation of cultural capital titles (Capitale della Cultura, Capitale del Libro, Capitale della…