Christian Caliandro on Art's Comfort Zone and the Loss of Authenticity

In a critical essay on Artribune, art historian Christian Caliandro argues that contemporary art has become a 'comfort zone' where works function as advertisements disguised as art, echoing David Foster Wallace's 1997 observation. Caliandro contends that most art today serves the interests of its financiers rather than viewers, undermining authenticity. He connects this to Carla Lonzi's 1970s reflections on authenticity in art, artist, and viewer relationships. Caliandro suggests that only a 'cure'—an affective, reciprocal relationship between artwork and viewer—can disrupt the current power-imbalanced system. He cites Josif Brodskij's 1987 Nobel lecture on the occasional nature of presence in space, lamenting that art has become 'a space accustomed to its content.' The essay is part of a series on 'sfrangiata' (frayed) art and its need for truth.