Pino Boresta Reflects on Art World Power Dynamics and Criticism

Italian artist Pino Boresta shares a personal account of his encounters with two critics, one dismissive and one supportive, which reinforced his belief that an artist's success often depends on external validation. He recounts a distressing conversation with a prominent critic who advised him to stop making art, contrasting it with a later conversation with a critic from northeastern Italy who affirmed his place in art history. Boresta reflects on the power critics hold over artists' careers, comparing the art world to a system where gatekeepers decide who succeeds. He includes a fictional "Letterina da loro" written in summer 2016 after reading Tiziano Scarpa's "Il brevetto del geco," which satirizes the cynical attitudes of art world insiders. Boresta, born in Rome and living in Segni (Rome), aligns his practice with Situationist values, emphasizing total involvement of himself and viewers. The article was published on Artribune in May 2020.