Artworld as Global Alternative Network Replaces Communist International

In April 2013, a conference titled 'Joan of Art: Towards a Free Education' was held at MACRO in Rome, organized by the author. During this event, speaker Mark Fisher argued that the artworld now functions as a worldwide network and refuge for alternative thought, effectively replacing the historical Communist International. This perspective emerges against a backdrop where conventional political channels have failed to challenge the corporatization of higher education. Since Tony Blair's 1996 speech prioritizing education, UK tuition fees have risen significantly, reaching between £6,000 and £9,000 annually following a Labour-commissioned review. Funding cuts in the UK and across Europe have narrowed academic subjects to reflect industry needs, leaving students in debt while studying within a system that serves financial interests. With the nation state's social role diminishing and the political left unable to offer convincing alternatives after the collapse of Soviet Communism and the 2007 economic crisis, education has moved to the center of political discourse. The artworld is positioned to feign and grow alternatives within the void left by the state's dismantling. The conference was in residence with the Gervasuti Foundation in Venice during the 55th Biennale. This article was originally published in the October 2013 issue of ArtReview.