Chiara Ianeselli's Book Explores the Power and Absence of Artwork Titles

Art historian and curator Chiara Ianeselli has published "Sulla necessità del Senza titolo. Il silenzio come linguaggio dell'arte" with Postmedia Books in Milan. The book examines how titles influence viewer experience and why artists sometimes choose to leave works untitled. Ianeselli, who has worked at dOCUMENTA (13), the 14th Istanbul Biennial, and as curatorial coordinator for documenta fifteen, argues that titles act as a form of control, introduced between the 18th and 19th centuries. She traces the rise of "Untitled" from the 1940s–50s with Abstract Expressionists like Clyfford Still and Mark Rothko, who avoided titles to prevent interference with viewer perception. The book also covers Dada and Surrealism, Minimalism, Arte Povera, and contemporary practices. Ianeselli notes that institutions are increasingly sensitive to titles in postcolonial contexts, citing interventions by Fred Wilson and updates at the Rijksmuseum and Dresden Museum. She currently collaborates with MAXXI on a new museum project.