Christian Caliandro argues art has lost its critical function in times of crisis

In a reflective essay on Artribune, Christian Caliandro contends that contemporary art has become decorative and speculative, losing its capacity to foster understanding and communication. He draws a parallel between the decline of art's quality and the worsening state of the world, describing a bidirectional relationship where poor times produce poor art and vice versa. Caliandro criticizes the art world's obsession with market validation, citing figures like Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst as symbols of a superficial era. He argues that war and societal breakdown stem from a lack of logic and empathy, which art should teach but currently fails to do. The essay calls for a return to basics and a reconstruction of art's role in society, abandoning the delusions of the past thirty years. Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, concludes that the current crisis may finally expose the emptiness of the art market's priorities.