Public subsidies distort cultural market, says economist Fabio Severino

Economist Fabio Severino argues that public subsidies distort the cultural sector by making operators dependent on state funding rather than market demand. He claims this leads to uninnovative offerings, empty venues, and artists who cater to bureaucrats instead of audiences. Severino notes that mass cultural consumption—billions watching films, visiting museums, attending shows—should have ended the patron-artist duality, yet public funding perpetuates it. He criticizes the lack of market metrics like consumption abundance. As a solution, he proposes the Anglo-Saxon matching grant model: for every euro raised independently (ticket sales, sponsorships, donations), the state contributes another euro. This would force cultural operators to take entrepreneurial risks. Severino holds an MBA and PhD in marketing, teaches at La Sapienza University in Rome, and consults for the UN and ministries. The article was published in Artribune Magazine #63.