Christian Caliandro: Art Must Not Wait for Restoration but Engage with the Present

In his column 'Fase Tre' on Artribune, art historian Christian Caliandro argues that art should not passively await a return to pre-pandemic norms but instead engage directly with current realities. He critiques the notion that artists have been secretly producing works for a future public, suggesting this reflects a desire to restore old modes of display. Caliandro invokes Antonin Artaud's 1930s text 'The Theater and Its Double' to advocate for a 'force of life' in art, one that connects with hunger and existential urgency rather than detached cultural ideals. He cites a 1967 performance by Judy Chicago, Lloyd Hamrol, and Eric Orr, 'Dry Ice Environment #1', as an example of art that existed in a specific time and place. Caliandro warns against algorithmic homogenization in visual art, fearing that themes of Anthropocene and Capitalocene will be replaced by pandemic-related topics. The column is part of a series reflecting on art's role during the pandemic.