David Balzer's 'Curatori d'assalto' Dissects the Rise of the Curator

David Balzer's book 'Curatori d'assalto' (Johan & Levi, 2016) offers a critical and historical analysis of the curator's role in contemporary culture. Balzer, a writer and critic, argues that curation has expanded beyond art into fields like cuisine, literature, and sports, driven by the act of selection over depth. He traces the lineage from Harald Szeemann to Hans-Ulrich Obrist, portraying Obrist as a hyper-efficient globetrotter whose life itself becomes a curatorial performance. Balzer critiques the star curator phenomenon, where economic imperatives often overshadow cultural value. The book is structured in short, pungent chapters, combining irony and erudition to challenge the banality of contemporary cultural discourse.