Gianna and Maria Pina Bentivenga on the State of Printmaking in Italy

In an interview on Artribune, sisters Gianna and Maria Pina Bentivenga discuss the current position of printmaking (incisione) within Italy's contemporary art system. Gianna notes that Italy lags behind other European countries due to conservatism, but observes a recent shift toward experimentation and installation-based works. Maria Pina emphasizes that printmaking is a valid artistic language, not merely a technique tied to paper or books. She sees younger generations moving in the right direction, though Italy still trails the broader concept of printmaking seen abroad. On the tension between manual printmaking and digital reproducibility, Gianna argues that the slow, manual process offers authentic reflection in an age of hyper-reproducibility. Maria Pina adds that the value of incising metal lies in the act itself, separate from digital reproduction. The interview was published in Artribune Magazine #46.