Gianluca Murasecchi on the Role of Printmaking in Contemporary Art

In an interview with Artribune, printmaker Gianluca Murasecchi discusses the marginalization of printmaking in Italy's contemporary art system, contrasting it with the international recognition of artists like Andy Warhol, William Kentridge, and Banksy, whose work is often print-based yet celebrated without medium-based prejudice. Murasecchi argues that the graphic arts embody a 'graphic thought' that is deeply rooted in visual arts history and offers a genuine, politically accessible language for cultural dissemination. He highlights the coexistence of advanced technology and 15th-century printing presses in contemporary printmaking, emphasizing that manual reproduction, even in limited editions, creates unique objects through the artist's bodily ritual. Murasecchi names Chiharu Shiota, Tara Donovan, and Kara Walker as contemporary artists who express graphic thought in space, and references Alberto Burri as a precursor. The interview, published in Artribune Magazine #46, was conducted by Luca Arnaudo.