Christian Caliandro's 'Fase Due' Column: Art as Conflict and Cultural Critique

Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, published a reflective column on Artribune titled 'Fase Due. L'arte e il conflitto' on July 29, 2020. Writing from Borgo Pineto in Castellaneta Marina, Taranto, he argues that art must serve as a tool for societal change, moving beyond decorative functions to engage with collective imagery and shared culture. He criticizes the Italian cultural system for being elitist and classist, self-excluding from collective culture, and reducing culture to entertainment. Caliandro asserts that contemporary art's deeply conflictual nature has been uprooted; new works should not resolve contradictions but explode them. He laments the rhetoric of the past decade around cultural processes and 'incubators,' which he sees as overly positive and linear, ignoring that important cultural works often come from negative, antisocial, and angry individuals like Francis Bacon or Jackson Pollock. He also critiques the art world's avoidance of dialogue and confrontation, particularly in Italy, where power and wealth allow some to dominate others. In a personal note, he reflects on the lockdown's lingering effects, the scarcity of experiences in youth as a catalyst for creativity, and the altered nature of experience due to reproduction and filming. The column is part of a series titled 'Fase Due' with previous installments covering topics like unsustainability, contempt, and the delay of contemporary art.