Antonio Bisaccia, the Accademia Director Who Fought for Art, Dies

Antonio Bisaccia, director of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Sassari since 2010, has died. He was a tireless advocate for Italy's AFAM system, pushing for parity with universities in research doctorates, habilitation competitions, staffing, and salaries. Under his leadership, the academy launched Italy's first biennial in documentary cinema and expanded its spaces in Sassari. He served as president of the national conference of academy and conservatory directors and later of the National Council for Higher Artistic and Musical Education (Cnam). Bisaccia also wrote regularly for Il Sole 24 Ore and Artribune, published books on cinema, and directed the journal Parol – Quaderni d'arte e di epistemologia. Despite chronic health issues, he remained tenacious and accessible. He was born in Sicily, studied at DAMS in Bologna, and taught media theory at Sassari. He also held a chair in Turin but chose to stay in Sardinia. His last meeting with the author was in February 2023 to arrange a book review.