Christian Caliandro: Contemporary Art Risks Becoming Android-Like

In an essay on Artribune, art historian Christian Caliandro applies Philip K. Dick's concept of the android to contemporary art, arguing that much of today's art functions as a simulation of interiority without authentic experience. Drawing on Dick's definition—where the android appears conscious and acts as if it has inner life but lacks verifiable interiority—Caliandro contends that art, like humans, should exceed its own definition. He distinguishes 'art that exceeds' (which inhabits multiple temporalities and resists reduction to object or commodity) from 'android art' (which is predictable, codifiable, and replicable). Caliandro identifies nostalgia, image recycling, and audience conditioning as drivers of this trend, where art becomes entertainment and a screen for expectations. He proposes 'achronia' as a possible escape route to preserve art as excess. The essay was published on Artribune in January 2026.