Giulio Alvigini's 'Manuale per giovani artisti' published by Postmedia Books

Giulio Alvigini, born in Tortona in 1995, published 'Manuale per giovani artisti (italiani semplici). Meme e sistema dell’arte italiano' with Postmedia Books in November 2020. The book originated from a lie about a fictional 'manual for opening jokes' on his Instagram page Make Italian Art Great Again (MIAGA). Postmedia Books, which had previously published Damien Hirst and Gordon Burn's 'Manuale per giovani artisti', proposed publishing the pamphlet. Alvigini describes the book as an 'admission of defeat' and a way to institutionalize his practice, which he calls the 'Terziario Avanzato del Mondo dell’Arte'—the mechanisms and rituals of the art system not taught in schools. The book uses jokes and memes to critique the Italian art system. Alvigini notes that the name MIAGA was coincidental with Trump's MAGA slogan, and he considered changing it but it was too late. He reflects on the COVID-19 lockdown and criticizes the overproduction of digital content, acknowledging his own role in fueling digital frenzy. Alvigini rejects being called an artist, preferring to fragment his identity into roles like social media manager, memer, and writer, but accepts the label reluctantly. He plans a future book, 'Commentari al Manuale per giovani artisti (italiani semplici)', to critique his own positions after ten years, and intends to use the current book as his thesis with a preface by his advisor Luca Beatrice. The book is 146 pages, costs €16, and has ISBN 9788874902910.