Cantieri Montelupo: Experience vs. Consumerism in Art

Christian Caliandro's essay on the Cantieri Montelupo project contrasts deep experience with consumerism, arguing that consumption skims surfaces while true experience requires effort, repetition, and risk. The text, published on Artribune, includes a 1978 diary entry by Keith Haring asserting that art is for everyone and that definitions can be destructive. Caliandro references Paul Valéry's concept of ubiquity and lists numerous artists from De Chirico to Kusama. The project involves Emanuela Barilozzi Caruso with seamstress Angela Corsani at Cantieri Montelupo, cantiere 3, on July 15, 2021. The essay distinguishes between distracting white noise and necessary interferences that lead to unexpected encounters. It critiques the art market and cultural tourism newsletters promoted by Artribune, such as Incanti, Render, and PAX.