Italian cultural crisis rooted in audience data failure

The cultural sector in Italy faces a crisis not of demand but of understanding its audience, argues Stefano Monti in an article for Artribune. While events like Christo's and Jan Fabre's 2016 shows attracted large crowds, institutions lack quality data to analyze who consumes culture and why. The sector has failed to move beyond generic audience labels and outdated survey methods that only target existing consumers. Monti calls for better tools to understand non-consumers, noting that digital revolution and social media have broken traditional correlations between education, income, and cultural participation. The article, published in Grandi Mostre #3, highlights the need for data-driven strategies to bridge the gap between those who engage with culture and those who do not.