Art as Political or Politicized: A Theoretical Duel
In a special issue for Flash Art's 50th anniversary, economist Pierluigi Sacco and artist Italo Zuffi debate whether art is inherently political or merely politicized. Sacco argues Italian art lacks political engagement, while Zuffi counters that all art is a political gesture. The author critiques both positions, asserting that political commitment in visual arts lies in the linguistic arena of artistic idiolects, not in content. The article then examines the migration crisis in Europe, framing the conflict between xenophobia and hospitality as an ontological and biological dialectic. It warns that extreme hospitality may provoke backlash, and concludes that politicized art is valid only if it tells the truth by embracing contradictions, not partisan illustration.
Key facts
- Pierluigi Sacco and Italo Zuffi debate art's political nature in Flash Art's 50th anniversary special issue.
- Sacco claims Italian art is insufficiently political; Zuffi retorts that art is always a political gesture.
- The author argues political commitment in visual arts resides in linguistic and transgenerational artistic idiolects.
- The article discusses the European migration crisis as a schism between xenophobia and hospitality.
- Xenophobia and hospitality are presented as ontologically and biologically rooted, mutually dependent forces.
- The author warns that unchecked hospitality may lead to future persecution of immigrants.
- Politicized art is deemed valid only if it testifies to the global semantic field without eluding contradictions.
- The article is part of a series titled 'Lezioni di critica' on Artribune.
Entities
Artists
- Italo Zuffi
- David Hammons
- Piotr Uklanski
Institutions
- Flash Art
- Artribune
Locations
- Italy
- Europe
- Mediterranean
- Genoa