FAQ: Bologna-Based Independent Project Democratizes Art Discourse

In January 2023, Nicoletta De Santoli and Rodolfo Baldanzi launched FAQ – Artisti rispondono a cose, an independent editorial project in Bologna, in collaboration with Adiacenze, an exhibition space for emerging art. The project aims to dismantle the elitist perception of art by asking artists questions that are often unspoken but universally pondered. The format is a single flyer: one side features a question and the artist's answer, the other side employs a trash 2000s graphic and post-internet aesthetic. The flyers are distributed for free in bars, libraries, and parks, making art discourse accessible beyond specialists. Three issues have been released so far: the first asked illustrator Emanuele Cantoro "Why do we need to say something?", the second asked Orecchie D'Asino "How do you know it's not a dream?", and the third, released a few weeks ago, asked the duo Plastikhaare "Are we still capable of building human relationships?" The questions explore reality and perception, pushing artistic dialogue into new territory.