Five New Art Books Explore Urban Regeneration, Canonicity, Post-Autonomous Art, Biennale History, and Alessandro Mendini

Five recent art publications offer diverse perspectives on contemporary art and culture. Agostino Riitano's "Situare Utopie" (Mimesis, 2024) argues for culture-driven urban regeneration, drawing on his experience with Procida Capitale Italiana della Cultura. Luca Nannipieri's "Che cosa sono i classici" (Skira, 2024) provocatively contends that all classics are ephemeral and subject to historical and cultural change. Wolfgang Ullrich's "L'arte dopo la fine dell'autonomia dell'arte" (Castelvecchi, 2024) examines the post-autonomous condition of art, increasingly intertwined with commerce, museums, social media, and activism. Massimiliano Gioni's "Caffè Paradiso" (Johan & Levi, 2024) compiles thirty years of interviews with directors of the Venice Biennale, offering intimate insights into their visions and challenges. Finally, "Io sono un drago" (Electa, 2024), edited by Fulvio Irace, accompanies a major retrospective at Triennale Milano (through mid-October) on Alessandro Mendini, the influential Italian designer and architect who rejected late rationalism from the 1960s onward.