Christian Caliandro on Neovernacular Art and Resistant Hope
Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, published an essay on Artribune exploring the concept of neovernacular art as a form of resistant hope. Drawing on Ruben Östlund's 2017 film 'The Square,' Caliandro critiques the disconnect between the art world's conventions and real-life empathy. He argues that contemporary art often separates symbolic choices from actual impact, while neovernacular art embraces service, community, and utility, rejecting control and commercialism. The essay references Italian cultural traditions of making do with limited resources and cites writer Scerbanenco via Edoardo De Angelis on the persistence of hope. Caliandro is a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Foundation for Italian Qualities.
Key facts
- Christian Caliandro is a contemporary art historian and professor at Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.
- The essay was published on Artribune in April 2019.
- Caliandro references Ruben Östlund's 2017 film 'The Square'.
- The film's protagonist, Christian, is a curator at a modern and contemporary art museum.
- Caliandro argues that neovernacular art focuses on service and community.
- Neovernacular art rejects control and commercialism.
- The essay cites Italian traditions of 'making do' as a virtue.
- Caliandro is a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Foundation for Italian Qualities.
Entities
Artists
- Christian Caliandro
- Ruben Östlund
- Edoardo De Angelis
- Scerbanenco
Institutions
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze
- Artribune
- Symbola Fondazione per le Qualità italiane
Locations
- Firenze
- Italy