Giancarlo Politi, Flash Art founder, remembered as a rigorous mentor

Arianna Rosica, a former Flash Art staff member, recalls her nearly twenty years working with Giancarlo Politi, the founder of the influential Italian art magazine. She describes him as a demanding but generous mentor who gave her a real opportunity to grow from the advertising department to the editorial team. Politi fostered a training ground where staff learned to take positions, with cover choices serving as declarations that often anticipated success rather than chasing it. One memorable cover featured Silvio Berlusconi with dark skin and the title "We Have a Dream," a deliberate provocation referencing Barack Obama's slogan. Politi believed a cover that didn't create friction was useless. He engaged in epic discussions with artists like Getulio Alviani and, with Helena Kontova, built Flash Art International into a concrete bridge between Italy and the global art system. He also launched the Prague Biennale, an ambitious project faced with challenges. Many former Flash Art editors have become prominent critics, curators, and museum directors. Rosica, now a curator and critic teaching at ISIA Pescara, credits Politi with teaching her that courage is a daily practice and that one never gives up. She remembers him as curious, severe, ironic, and obstinately free.