Stefano Cagol on Art Market, Fairs, and the Italian System

In an interview with Artribune, artist Stefano Cagol discusses his financial model, which balances support from foundations, museums, prizes, residencies, patrons, collectors, gallerists, and public funding. He states he does not focus on the market, seeing it as often distant from art and subject to speculation and trends. Cagol criticizes the proliferation of art fairs, which he believes forces galleries and artists into a shopping-center dynamic and leads to works made specifically for fairs, a phenomenon he calls decadent. He prefers biennials for their greater research freedom. Working across multiple countries, he adapts to different systems and finds Italy unique but burdened by its past, lacking confidence in the contemporary. He values residencies for intellectual exchange and financial stability. Cagol manages his private life by remaining flexible, avoiding continuous teaching roles, and his wife, a critic and curator, often accompanies him. The interview was published in Artribune Magazine #48, conducted by Santa Nastro, and references Cagol's works such as 'The Ice Monolith' (2013) at Riva Ca' di Dio, Venice, and his participation in the Maldives Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale.