Christian Caliandro on the Illusion of Newness and the Tyranny of the Ego

In a personal essay on Artribune, Christian Caliandro reflects on the concept of 'newness' and its reception in contemporary society. He argues that genuine novelty, when it appears, possesses an undeniable power that forces recognition across all levels of society, contrary to the common belief that it is initially met with violent rejection. Caliandro contrasts this with the current cultural obsession with the self—the incessant 'I, I, I' manifested through social media likes, posts, and comments—which he sees as a desperate attempt to be noticed in a world that ultimately cares little. He suggests that true newness today means 'disappearing,' being present while vanishing from the corrupted radars that certify existence through digital validation. The essay also touches on generational divides, criticizing baby boomers for their inability to perceive change, and recounts surreal and tragic anecdotes about workers at the Italsider steel plant in Taranto during the 1960s, highlighting the dehumanizing conditions and the failure of rhetoric to capture the chaotic, magnetic nature of life. Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, weaves in quotes from poets Eugenio Montale and George Saunders to support his reflections.