Claudio Musso on the Need for Visual Education in the Age of Scrolling

In an editorial for Artribune Magazine #52, Claudio Musso reflects on the erosion of attentive looking in contemporary visual culture. He recounts stumbling upon perception theory lessons printed on electrical cabinet covers in Geneva, featuring anamorphosis, optical illusions, trompe-l'œil, color theory, and impossible figures inspired by M.C. Escher. This chance encounter prompts a critique of how little time people devote to analyzing what they see, favoring rapid scrolling over sustained concentration. Musso argues that despite living in a 'civilization of images,' we treat even framed artworks with cursory glances. He proposes a return to 're-seeing' as a therapeutic practice, drawing on Antonio Martino's concept of rereading from 'Disegno dal vero' (Pendragon). Martino suggests rereading to counter declining quality in publishing and to discover the new self. Musso extends this to images, advocating for a revival of image education in schools and beyond. He calls for visual training that rekindles the capacity for surprise, as experienced in his Geneva walk. The editorial promotes Artribune's newsletters: 'Incanti' (art market), 'Render' (urban regeneration), and 'PAX' (cultural tourism).