Italian philosopher and art theorist Mario Perniola dies at 76
Mario Perniola, a renowned Italian philosopher and art theorist, passed away at the age of 76. He was born in Asti on May 20, 1941, and studied at the University of Turin under the guidance of Luigi Pareyson, where he encountered Gianni Vattimo and Umberto Eco. In the 1960s, he became involved with the Situationist movement, working alongside Guy Debord. Perniola established the magazine Agaragar (1971-1973) and later served as the chair of aesthetics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where he founded the Centro studi e documentazione Linguaggio e Pensiero and the journal Ágalma. His notable publications include I situazionisti (1972), L'alienazione artistica (1971), and L'arte espansa (2015). His final works were Del terrorismo come una delle belle arti (2016) and Estetica italiana contemporanea (2017), with a posthumous autobiography on the way. Giuliano Compagno remarked that his passing represents "the greatest loss for Italian philosophy in the last 30 years."
Key facts
- Mario Perniola died at age 76
- Born in Asti on May 20, 1941
- Studied at University of Turin under Luigi Pareyson
- Met Gianni Vattimo and Umberto Eco during studies
- Connected with Situationist movement and Guy Debord
- Founded and directed magazine Agaragar (1971-1973)
- Held chair of aesthetics at University of Rome Tor Vergata
- Founded Centro studi e documentazione Linguaggio e Pensiero
- Founded journal Ágalma (also book series from 2000)
- Key works: I situazionisti (1972), L'alienazione artistica (1971), L'arte e la sua ombra (2000), Il sex appeal dell'inorganico (2004), L'arte espansa (2015)
- Last books: Del terrorismo come una delle belle arti (2016), Estetica italiana contemporanea (2017)
- Posthumous autobiography forthcoming
- Giuliano Compagno was a friend and former student
- Compagno called Perniola's death 'the greatest loss for Italian philosophy in the last 30 years'
Entities
Artists
- Mario Perniola
- Giuliano Compagno
- Luigi Pareyson
- Gianni Vattimo
- Umberto Eco
- Guy Debord
- Gillo Dorfles
- Massimo Donà
- Jean-Marie Straub
- Marcel Duchamp
- Georges Bataille
- Umberto Sebastano
- Santa Nastro
- Francesco Arcangeli
Institutions
- University of Turin
- University of Rome Tor Vergata
- Einaudi
- Mimesis
- Feltrinelli
- Bompiani
- Artribune
- L'espresso
- Centro studi e documentazione Linguaggio e Pensiero
- Ágalma
Locations
- Asti
- Italy
- Turin
- Rome
- Norway