Christian Caliandro argues art criticism is useless yet necessary

Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, published an opinion piece on Artribune Magazine #75 questioning the role of art criticism in Italy. He argues that criticism is often misunderstood as mere negative reviews or post-hoc validation, functions now absorbed by the market. Instead, he posits that true criticism is independent of power, institutions, and the market, and should accompany the creative process before and during the making of an artwork, not just after. This makes criticism seemingly useless in a system obsessed with efficiency and performance, yet more necessary than ever. Caliandro calls for criticism to be a creative, collaborative practice that builds new references and connections, rejecting the criteria of immediate gratification.