Feminist Thought as a Tool to Rethink Art and Reciprocity

Christian Caliandro's essay on Artribune argues that feminist thought offers an irreplaceable tool for rethinking contemporary art and its crises. He critiques the obsession with individual protagonism and ego in art, which he sees as a form of fiction and anticulture (citing Carmelo Bene). Instead, he advocates for a horizontal approach that prioritizes relationship and reciprocity, referencing Carla Lonzi's 1970s concept of "blossoming in reciprocity." Caliandro distinguishes between the "current" and the "contemporary," asserting that true contemporaneity is exemplified by figures like Antonin Artaud, Allan Kaprow, and the Living Theatre. He draws on bell hooks' "Feminism is for Everybody" to describe consciousness-raising groups as sites of conversion and non-hierarchical dialogue. The essay is part of a series on "splayed art" and the need for art to confront reality.