Adrian Tranquilli criticizes Macro Asilo as a symptom of broader institutional crisis

Adrian Tranquilli endorses Massimiliano Tonelli's critique of Macro Asilo, arguing that the project exemplifies a dangerous trend that, if unchallenged, could become the dominant model for cultural institutions. Tranquilli asserts that the current political rhetoric in Italy creates confusion, undermining constructive debate. He condemns the museum's transformation into a playground for self-identified artists, calling it demeaning to both the institution and exhibiting artists. Tranquilli highlights the paradox: by stripping institutions of their prerogatives, it becomes impossible to grant dignity to their content. He calls for mandatory fees for artists, as practiced in Nordic countries, and criticizes the double morality of claiming to be 'alternative' while seeking institutional power. Tranquilli questions why such a project had to be housed in Rome's contemporary art museum, which should symbolize authority. He argues that offering visibility in an age of social media is vacuous, and that the museum's slogan 'museum of the city for the city's artists' denies the museum's essential role of selection and exclusion based on intellectual complexity. He compares the situation to the Luddite paradox and warns that misinterpreting lessons from Duchamp and Beuys strips artists of dignity. Tranquilli concludes that what is needed is a 'Macro university' rather than a 'Macro asylum.'