Lorenzo Balbi and Alberto Zanchetta Debate Specialization vs. Interdisciplinarity in Contemporary Art

Lorenzo Balbi, artistic director of MAMbo – Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna and head of the Area Arte Moderna e Contemporanea of Istituzione Bologna Musei, and Alberto Zanchetta, artistic director of Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Lissone, engage in a dialogue for the Versus column. They discuss whether young artists today show maturity or superficiality, the role of specialization versus interdisciplinarity, conservation challenges of ephemeral art, and the interaction between art and other fields. Balbi observes a polyphony of expressive outcomes among emerging Italian artists, attributing it to heterogeneous educational backgrounds. Zanchetta notes both maturity and naivety, advocating for 'style exercises' to revitalize disciplines. On conservation, Balbi highlights that since the 1970s, degradable materials and new media have transformed restoration, while Zanchetta argues not all art must be preserved, citing Fluxus and Arte Povera. Regarding interdisciplinarity, Balbi sees it as natural in a transdisciplinary world, while Zanchetta views art as capable of absorbing all human knowledge. Balbi announces his upcoming exhibition 'That’s IT!' at MAMbo on June 21, featuring over 50 Italian artists born after 1980. Zanchetta cites Matteo Fato as a specialist excelling in painting, drawing, and sculpture, and CTRLZAK (Thanos Zakopoulos and Katia Meneghini) as polymaths blurring art, design, and architecture.