Nanni Balestrini on the 1970s: Joy, Liberation, and Cultural Guerrilla

In an interview during the exhibition 'L’Inarchiviabile/The Unarchivable. Italia anni 70' at FM Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea in Milan, Nanni Balestrini (born 1935) reflected on the 1970s as a period of extraordinary joy and liberation, contrasting with the later criminalization of the Years of Lead. He praised the exhibition for showcasing the era's artistic innovations beyond Arte Povera, emphasizing the close link between art and social-political transformation. Balestrini discussed his fluid movement across poetry, literature, and visual art, and recalled his relationships with artists like Piero Manzoni, Enrico Castellani, and Agostino Bonalumi, as well as his collaboration with musicians such as Luciano Berio and Luigi Nono. He credited Luciano Anceschi as a mentor who fostered new voices in 1950s Italy. Balestrini lamented the disappearance of collective artistic communities in the age of the internet, describing contemporary artists as isolated in 'electronic catacombs.' He criticized the compulsive use of smartphones and social media as economically exploitative and detached from real-world experiences. The interview took place on June 8, 2016, curated by Manuela Gandini and Marco Scotini.