Giulio Paolini on Rules, Time, and AI in Artribune Podcast

In the latest Artribune podcast, Donatella Giordano interviews Giulio Paolini (Genoa, 1940) months after his Praemium Imperiale award in painting. Paolini discusses his current exhibition at Palazzo Carpegna, home of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, titled "A come Accademia." He presents a lucid vision based on theoretical premises, maintaining a vigilant link between past, present, and future while embracing the concept of "rule" as a foundational principle. He states: "I cannot conceive of leaving a mark without considering a sense of measure, composure, transparency." Paolini addresses the dilemma of the rule, not as a rigid academic imposition but as an unspoken statement creating tension and knowledge. He offers an original view on time and material life: "The accidents of daily life are matter to forget, if possible, while the altitudes and timeless visions enjoyed in a theater or museum are normality." On technological progress and AI, he sees a predestined path: "We will have to accept, and if possible share, things we neither wanted nor desired but that will overwhelm us by the legitimate course of history." He concludes by comparing his artistic vocation to a religious calling: "When I found myself doing what I have done for over fifty years, the original moment was not a question that led me to do what I did, but it was as if I had taken vows." The podcast is part of the "Monologhi al Telefono" series by Donatella Giordano, available on Spreaker.