Danto and Paparoni: Conversations on Art After History

The book 'Arte e Poststoria. Conversazioni sulla fine dell’estetica e altro' collects four dialogues between philosopher Arthur C. Danto and critic Demetrio Paparoni, held between 1995 and 2011. Danto's theory defines art through aboutness and embodiment, plus a third trait: daydreaming. The conversations explore posthistorical art, style, and form, with Danto acting as both theorist and critic. The first dialogue includes artist Mimmo Paladino; the second features philosopher Mario Perniola discussing visibility and style. A later dialogue addresses Danto's hierarchy placing visual arts above cinema, his encounter with Clement Greenberg, and differences between European and American Pop art, as well as Chinese vs. Western art. Danto states: 'We no longer have stories. People don't give up because the human mind always wants to see things from a narrative point of view. But sooner or later you can defeat this hunger for stories and look at things as they are.' The book includes an introduction by Paparoni summarizing Danto's thought.