Christian Caliandro on the New Era and the Art of Straying
Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, reflects on the challenges of being a living artist, drawing on Eugenio Montale's 1951 essay "Quelli che restano." Caliandro argues that contemporary artists must resist the pressure to conform to expectations and instead embrace error, experimentation, and failure to access the future. He references Mario Schifano's 1970 work "Ora esatta" and the influence of Glenn Branca on Sonic Youth, as well as personal memories of 1980s Italian television and cinema. The piece critiques the tendency to speak the language of the old and emphasizes the need to "stray" as an art form. Caliandro is a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Foundation and teaches at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts.
Key facts
- Christian Caliandro is a contemporary art historian and professor at Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.
- He is a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Foundation for Italian Qualities.
- The article references Eugenio Montale's 1951 essay 'Quelli che restano' from 'Auto da fé' (Mondadori 2016).
- Mario Schifano's work 'Ora esatta' (1970) is mentioned, courtesy of Christie's.
- Glenn Branca is cited as the teacher of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, foundational to Sonic Youth.
- Caliandro describes 1970s New York as bankrupt and degraded, referencing 'Taxi Driver.'
- The text includes personal memories of 1980s Italian TV, films like 'Luca il contrabbandiere' (1980) by Lucio Fulci, and pop culture references.
- Caliandro argues that the future opens only through errors, requiring space, time, experiment, and failure.
Entities
Artists
- Christian Caliandro
- Eugenio Montale
- Mario Schifano
- Glenn Branca
- Thurston Moore
- Lee Ranaldo
- Lucio Fulci
- Don Johnson
- Franco Franchi
- Ciccio Ingrassia
- Enzo Biagi
- Rocky Balboa
- Travis Bickle
- Ugo Fantozzi
- Pina Fantozzi
- Gloria Guida
- Pierino
Institutions
- Artribune
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze
- Symbola Fondazione per le Qualità italiane
- Mondadori
- Christie's
- Corriere d'Informazione
- RETE4
- Sonic Youth
Locations
- New York
- Italy
- Firenze