Christian Caliandro examines the social milieu of contemporary artists

Christian Caliandro, an art historian teaching at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze and a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Fondazione per le Qualità italiane, analyzes the social environment in which today's artists operate. He argues that artists, even those not from privileged backgrounds, adopt the codes and values of the affluent class, resulting in a cultural production that rarely depicts working-class lives. Caliandro cites rare Italian films such as Paolo Virzì's 'Tutta la vita davanti' (2008), Daniele Luchetti's 'La nostra vita' (2010), and Daniele Vicari's 'Sole cuore amore' (2016) as exceptions. He also critiques Italian media for providing a distorted and incomplete portrayal of reality, which influences artists. Caliandro quotes gallerist Betty Parsons, who lamented the lack of powerful art despite turbulent times. The article was published on Artribune.