Alessandro Dal Lago, philosopher and art critic, dies at 74

Alessandro Dal Lago, Italian philosopher, sociologist, and writer, died on March 26 at age 74. His recent book 'Insofferenze' (Prospero editore) reflects his restless personality. He was a scholar of Foucault, Hannah Arendt, Rosa Luxemburg, Simone Weil, Simmel, and Weber. His 1999 book 'Non-persone' analyzed migration, racial hatred, and nationalism post-Berlin Wall. With partner Serena Giordano, he co-wrote art critiques including 'Mercanti d’aura' (2006), 'Fuori cornice' (2008), 'L’artista e il potere' (2014), and 'Graffiti, arte e ordine pubblico' (2016). They argued that 'aura' is a relational effect, like sacred images or Damien Hirst's diamond skull. Dal Lago preferred 'rights of humanity' over 'human rights,' opposing war as a solution. His 2016 pamphlet 'Pacifismo pratico' criticized military interventions in Falluja, Grozny, and Afghanistan. He moved to Palermo and Trapani in 2013. He was an anarchist who valued play, chance, and friendship.