Christian Caliandro argues contemporary art has become crude and shoddy

In an opinion piece on Artribune, art historian Christian Caliandro argues that contemporary visual art has become crude and shoddy, mirroring a broader cultural decline. He asserts that assertive, unambiguous art is replacing ambiguous, controversial works open to multiple interpretations. This new art imposes its vision on viewers, who are seen as rude for wanting their own interpretation. Caliandro links this to a pervasive low-quality culture, exemplified by a politician using the garbled phrase “una nostra parola-chiave-credo” on TV. He claims this crudeness no longer hides but flaunts itself as the new standard, displacing old ones. The article references Jerry Gogosian's Instagram and promotes Artribune's newsletters: Incanti (art market), Render (urban regeneration), and PAX (cultural tourism). Caliandro teaches art history at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and is on the scientific committee of Symbola Foundation.