Andrea Rabbito's 'Cultura del falso' Explores Fake News Through Art History

Andrea Rabbito, associate professor at the University of Enna "Kore," has edited the book "Cultura del falso. Inganni, illusioni e fake news" (Meltemi, 2020), a 552-page volume featuring contributions from thirty experts. The book traces the genealogy of falsehood from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary deepfakes, arguing that deception is inherent to human nature. Rabbito identifies the Baroque period, especially Diego Velázquez's "Las Meninas," as a pivotal moment when art deliberately blurred truth and illusion to foster critical awareness. The volume includes thirty color works by Sicilian artist Benedetto Poma, whose paintings engage with Baroque aesthetics and the theme of falsehood. Rabbito advocates for a "fake news/media/visual literacy" as the primary strategy to counter disinformation, drawing parallels between Baroque trompe-l'oeil and today's digital manipulations. The book examines falsehood across visual arts, photography, cinema, theater, television, and new media, distinguishing between its positive, reflexive role in art and its negative impact in communication. Rabbito cites theorists like Marshall McLuhan, Edgar Morin, and Nicholas Mirzoeff to argue that technical images easily propagate both positive and negative aspects of the culture of falsehood. The interview was conducted by Valentina Muzi for Artribune.