Francesca Pasini's 'Slalom' Reworks Art Criticism Through Personal Narrative

Art critic and curator Francesca Pasini has released a new book titled 'Slalom,' published by Mimesis, which revisits her past essays, articles, and reviews through the lens of present-day events and personal experiences. The volume eschews any images, relying solely on the power of ekphrasis—the verbal recreation of visual truth—to engage with artworks as active subjects rather than passive objects. Pasini intertwines art criticism with intellectual autobiography, incorporating the loss of her lifelong partner Giorgio Galli and the Covid-19 pandemic as turning points that illuminate her critical path. The book draws on thinkers such as Carlo Rovelli, Giorgio Parisi, and Telmo Pievani to expand its philosophical and symbolic framework beyond aesthetics. Pasini's approach echoes Georges Didi-Huberman's concept of anachronistic reading, where artworks contain multiple temporalities and dialogue across eras. 'Slalom' serves both as a analysis of contemporary art trends and a testament to personal transformation.