Art as Useless Tools: A Philosophical Critique of Contemporary Art's Efficiency Obsession

Philosopher Alva Noë, in his 2022 book 'Strani strumenti. L’arte e la natura umana' (Einaudi), argues that artworks are 'strange tools'—useless instruments that impose inaction. Christian Caliandro, writing on Artribune, applies Noë's framework to critique the last 15-20 years of contemporary art, which he claims has replaced the essential 'not-doing' with efficiency and immediate results. Noë, drawing on John Dewey, asserts that museums are antithetical to art because they reduce works to dead objects for passive consumption, whereas art requires active engagement and 'staging' by the public. Caliandro extends this to argue that works created solely for museums are born dead; instead, art must be 'frayed' (sfrangiata), embedded in context, and capable of forming deep, healing relationships. He cites artist Laura Cionci, whose 2020 book 'Stato di grazia' (Postmedia Books) calls for art to create spaces of rest and reflection amid global crisis, and to act as a vehicle for collective imagination and positive change. Caliandro, an art historian teaching at Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and member of Symbola Foundation's scientific committee, synthesizes these ideas to advocate for art as a relational, immaterial experience rather than a consumable content.