Opinion & reviews

Editorials, critical reviews, analyses, commentaries, and viewpoints on the contemporary art world.

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Christian Caliandro: Why Art Must Not Entertain opinion-review
In a critical essay on Artribune, Christian Caliandro argues that contemporary art has been corrupted by demands from power structures to entertain, provide solutions, and be…
Digital divide in Italian cultural system: museums lag in basic tech opinion-review
The Italian cultural system suffers from a significant digital gap, with museums lacking basic technologies like online ticketing, Wi-Fi, and functional websites. According to…
Claudia Neri on Graphic Design Challenges in Museums opinion-review
Claudia Neri, founder of Teikna Design, discusses her work in cultural graphic design. She highlights challenges such as balancing timelessness with contemporaneity for museum…
Louis Vuitton's second Yayoi Kusama collaboration sparks debate on art-commerce ethics opinion-review
Louis Vuitton has launched its second collaboration with Yayoi Kusama, featuring a full collection of polka-dot designs, immersive store rebranding, and public installations of…
Debate erupts over Gabriela Biló's controversial newspaper cover image in Brazil opinion-review
A debate on photojournalism and image manipulation has erupted on social media following the publication of an image by Gabriela Biló on the cover of the Brazilian newspaper Folha…
Virtual Reality's Content Gap: Tech Outpaces Meaningful Experiences opinion-review
The virtual reality industry is currently focused on economic and financial development, with major investments from developers, engineers, startups, and financial institutions.…
Christian Caliandro argues contemporary art display systems enforce social control opinion-review
In a critical essay published on Artribune, Christian Caliandro draws on Jerzy Grotowski's concept of 'poor theatre' to argue that contemporary art's display apparatus functions…
Jerzy Skolimowski's 'EO' Reimagines the Road Movie Through a Donkey's Eyes opinion-review
Jerzy Skolimowski's film 'EO' (2022) centers on a donkey protagonist, reinterpreting the American road movie tradition through a European, arthouse lens. The film pays homage to…
Documenta 15 Challenges the Universality of the Art System opinion-review
The article, published on Artribune Magazine #69, is a philosophical reflection on the concept of universality in the art world, using Documenta 15 in Kassel as a case study. The…
Luciano Floridi on Land Art, the Future, and Cultural Resistance opinion-review
Philosopher Luciano Floridi, professor at Oxford's Internet Institute and the University of Bologna, discusses his inspirations, views on history and innovation, and predictions…
Post-pandemic surge in live events and cultural spending opinion-review
Following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, there has been a significant resurgence in attendance at live events such as concerts, theater, and exhibitions, particularly…
Italian Cultural Sector Lacks Audience Data and Connectivity opinion-review
The Italian cultural sector fails to systematically collect and connect data on its audiences, unlike other industries such as retail or banking. Museums, theaters, and art fairs…
Sgarbi Defends Heritage Policies in Artribune Rebuttal opinion-review
Vittorio Sgarbi, Italy's undersecretary for culture, responded to an editorial by Massimiliano Tonelli on Artribune, clarifying his roles overseeing state archaeological parks,…
Roma rischia il divario culturale senza una biblioteca contemporanea opinion-review
Il 25 marzo 2022, il Comune di Milano ha lanciato un concorso internazionale per la nuova BEIC (Biblioteca Europea di Informazione e Cultura), il cui vincitore è stato selezionato…
Christian Caliandro critiques 'fighetta' art's fear of rebellion opinion-review
In a two-part article featured on Artribune, art historian Christian Caliandro (born 1979) contends that modern 'fighetta' art exhibits a fear of defiance. He references Mark…
Sgarbi: No to Milan's Museo del '900 walkway, Uffizi loggia replacement opinion-review
Italian Undersecretary for Culture Vittorio Sgarbi, in a January 2 interview with Corriere della Sera, declared that the planned walkway connecting the two arengari of Piazza…
Darren Aronofsky's 'The Whale' Explores Body and Identity opinion-review
Darren Aronofsky's film 'The Whale' premiered in competition at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. The screenplay, written by Samuel D. Hunter, adapts his own play. The…
Italian Art Identity: Between Metaphysics and Progress opinion-review
Anselm Kiefer has made a significant mark by becoming the first contemporary artist allowed to cover ancient masterpieces in the Palazzo Ducale, using black cloth to obscure…
The Spreading Malaise of Information Overload in the Art World opinion-review
A phenomenon of preemptive exhaustion from excessive information about art events, exacerbated by social media, is afflicting the art world. The author, an art critic, publicly…
Endowment effect and cultural policy: Italy's political challenges opinion-review
The article analyzes the endowment effect in cultural policymaking, where benefits once granted become perceived as rights, making reforms politically difficult. It cites Italy's…
How Art Responded to the Atomic Bomb: From Dali to Baj opinion-review
The article by Marcello Faletra on Artribune explores the artistic and political responses to the atomic bomb, from Hiroshima to the present. It references Japanese doctor…
The Problem of Irrelevance in Contemporary Art opinion-review
Christian Caliandro argues that the equivalence of styles, emerging between the late 1970s and early 1980s with postmodernism, has led to art's irrelevance. This equivalence…
San Casciano dei Bagni: Archaeology as Political Act opinion-review
The Etruscan bronze discoveries at San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany are reframed as a political argument for sustained investment in humanities research. The excavation, led by…
Italy's cultural consumption crisis: only 4 in 10 read, families spend under €3/month on culture opinion-review
Despite the success of the Più Libri Più Liberi fair in Rome, Italy's cultural consumption remains alarmingly low. According to the latest SIAE report, only 20% of spectators come…
AFAM Reform: The Unfinished Battle for Italian Art Education opinion-review
Antonio Bisaccia, the CNAM President, expresses his discontent with the Italian AFAM system, pointing out legislative shortcomings from Law 508/99 to the present day. He compares…
Contemporary Art's Fear of the New: A Critique opinion-review
Christian Caliandro argues that contemporary art has become conservative, with artists recycling formal languages from the 1960s and 1970s—Arte Povera, Postminimalism,…
ICOM Italia's nuanced stance on climate activists in museums opinion-review
On November 11, 2022, ICOM International Council of Museums issued a statement acknowledging climate activists' protests in European museums by groups like Just Stop Oil and…
The 'Fighetto' Artist: Cynicism and Failure in Contemporary Art opinion-review
Christian Caliandro critiques the 'fighetto' (hipster) artist as cynical and detached from reality, producing work that is inherently powerless because the artist does not believe…
She Said at Torino Film Festival: A Critical Look at the Weinstein Case opinion-review
At the 2022 Torino Film Festival, the film 'She Said' was screened, directed by Maria Schrader, chronicling the investigation by New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi…
Artists and the Fear of Pain in a Palliative Society opinion-review
Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, reflects on the contemporary artist's relationship with pain and suffering. Drawing…
Poem Describes Encounter with Black Cat Artwork at American Visionary Art Museum opinion-review
A poem by Marjorie Maddox describes an encounter with an artwork featuring a black cat at the American Visionary Art Museum. The poem portrays a stark room where a black cat…
Defending Practical Art Education: A Response to Barilli opinion-review
Luca Bertolo, an artist and teacher at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, responds to Renato Barilli's article arguing that teaching painting and sculpture in academies is…
Arjan Martins on Black Collecting as Utopian Target and PIPA 2021 Prize Themes opinion-review
Arjan Martins described black collecting as nearly a utopian intention for his target audience. The artist's perspective emerged in relation to the 2021 PIPA Prize, which explored…
Culture as a Tool to Counter Italy's Economic Crisis opinion-review
Italy faces a looming economic crisis with rent increases of over 30% in some urban peripheries and rising prices for essential goods, exacerbated by potential geopolitical…
Why we need to flaunt luxury: logos, furs, jewelry opinion-review
The article explores the sociology of luxury ostentation, tracing its evolution from 19th-century nobility to today's mass culture. It argues that status display is inherent in…
Genoa's Cultural Renaissance Hinges on New Palazzo Ducale Leadership opinion-review
Genoa, which thrived as a contemporary art center during the 1960s and 70s, has experienced a cultural downturn for the past three decades. Beppe Costa, a member of the Costa…
Christian Caliandro examines the social milieu of contemporary artists opinion-review
Christian Caliandro, an art historian teaching at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Fondazione per le Qualità italiane,…
Eco-Activists' Museum Protests Challenge Art World Values opinion-review
A wave of protests by young environmental activists targeting iconic artworks in museums has sparked controversy. The activists have thrown soup at van Gogh's Sunflowers, mashed…
Italy's 'Dopo di Noi' Law and the Need for Integrated Cultural-Social Policy opinion-review
Italy faces deep political, economic, and social uncertainty, requiring a shift from collective to community. This demands a culture of community, weakened by mobility, smaller…
Antonio Tucci Russo on Art, Poetry, and the Future of Creativity opinion-review
Antonio Tucci Russo, founder of the Tucci Russo gallery in Turin, reflects on his career, inspirations, and vision for the future in an interview for the 'Futuro Antico' series.…

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