Efficiency as the new criterion for contemporary art?
Christian Caliandro reflects on a 1981 text by Germano Celant about the homogenization and neutralization of art, arguing that these processes have intensified and now align with AI-driven production. He connects Celant's concepts of 'permutability of terms' and 'reification' to Philip K. Dick's notion of androids—beings that mimic humans without genuine feeling. Caliandro contends that much contemporary art is already mechanized and simulacral, making it ripe for full AI takeover. He questions who decided efficiency should be the criterion for art and why artists have accepted this dangerous, saddening trend. The essay appears on Artribune.
Key facts
- Germano Celant's 1981 text 'Per un'identità italiana' is quoted.
- Celant's text was published in the catalogue for 'Identité italienne' at Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
- Caliandro cites Philip K. Dick's 1975 essay 'Man, Android, and Machine'.
- Caliandro teaches at Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.
- Caliandro is a member of the scientific committee of Symbola Foundation.
- The article discusses AI's role in art production.
- Caliandro argues that efficiency is an anti-artistic concept.
- The article was published on Artribune in February 2023.
Entities
Artists
- Germano Celant
- Philip K. Dick
- Vincent van Gogh
- Christian Caliandro
Institutions
- Centre Georges Pompidou
- Musée National d'Art Moderne
- Feltrinelli
- Fanucci Editore
- Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze
- Symbola Fondazione per le Qualità italiane
- Artribune
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Italy
- Milan