Toni Negri, philosopher and art theorist, dies at 90

Toni Negri, the Italian Marxist philosopher and political theorist known for his writings on empire, multitude, and contemporary art, died Saturday in Paris at age 90. Arrested on April 7, 1979, on charges of being a leader of the Red Brigades and involvement in the Moro kidnapping—charges later dismissed—he spent 4.5 years in preventive detention. In 1983, Marco Pannella ran him for parliament, and he was elected, leading to a brief release. A new arrest warrant forced him into exile in France for 14 years; he returned voluntarily to Italy in 1997 and was imprisoned. Negri co-authored the influential book "Empire" (2000) with Michael Hardt, analyzing globalization and the rhizomatic structure of a centerless empire. He also engaged deeply with contemporary art, publishing "Arte e Multitudo" (DeriveApprodi), a collection of letters exploring art as living labor, the invention of singularities, and resistance to neoliberal dehumanization through love. He described art as "the affirmation, each time a new discovery, that all men are angels."