ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

AFAM Reform: The Unfinished Battle for Italian Art Education

opinion-review · 2026-04-27

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 the initial 1997 'ISDA' proposal with the Senate's altered version, which omitted references to 'university,' resulting in ambiguity and leaving AFAM unresolved for two decades. He emphasizes the lack of activation for AFAM PhD programs, affecting five student generations, and the uncertain status of AFAM faculty. Bisaccia suggests three avenues for reform: reinstating Law 508, revising recruitment regulations, or implementing a legislative decree. He also criticizes the PNRR for its limited focus on AFAM and advocates for its inclusion, referencing the 2022 Symbola-Unioncamere report on the cultural sector's GDP impact.

Key facts

  • Law 508/99 was enacted on December 21, 1999, after radical Senate modifications to the original 1997 Chamber proposal.
  • The original 1997 proposal (Act 688) envisioned ISDA with university status, rectors, and university governance.
  • Senate modifications removed all references to 'university' and 'universitario', akin to Emilio Isgrò's erasures.
  • AFAM PhD programs have never been activated, affecting five generations of students.
  • AFAM faculty are classified as 'né né' (neither university nor school teachers) with contracts aligned to the school sector.
  • The PNRR dedicates only three lines to AFAM, focusing on internationalization with no tenders issued.
  • The Symbola-Unioncamere 2022 report counts 270,318 SPCC enterprises contributing 5.6% of GDP (€88.6 billion).
  • Three reform paths are proposed: conservative restoration of Law 508, regulatory reinterpretation, or a legislative decree.

Entities

Artists

  • Emilio Isgrò
  • Antonio Bisaccia

Institutions

  • Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma
  • Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
  • Accademia Albertina di Torino
  • Consiglio Nazionale per l’Alta Formazione Artistica e Musicale (CNAM)
  • Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca (MUR)
  • Ministero della Cultura (MiC)
  • Camera dei Deputati
  • Senato
  • Symbola
  • Unioncamere

Locations

  • Italy
  • Roma
  • Torino
  • Milano

Sources