the today world of visual art. I do not want to cripple his thinking too much, ignoring the message of someone who could not take it anymore against “the gigantic mechanisms of commodification that take away weight and color even from the most radical innovations” and in the end put a noose around his neck (2008). The situation has not changed since then, actually it got worse. What are we doing?
Therapy
A look at history is always useful. At the time of Duchamp, in Italy Valori Plastici collected the thoughts of awake minds such as De Chirico, Carrà, Bontempelli, Venturi etc. They were discussing the Baroque heritage in Italian art, just as the French made a clean sweep of “retinal values”.
Is there a crossroad? Has it ever existed? The late Baroque (Barocchetto) or Urinal? From David Foster Wallace‘s previous speech, I will limit myself to underlining one word, destination. Perhaps his famous “click” will be triggered in others.
Le Muse inquietanti, 1917:
“ Oh sacrosante Vergini, se fami/ freddo e vigilie io per voi soffersi/cagion mi sprona a che mercé vi chiami. /Or convien ch’Elicona per me versi/e Uranì m’aiuti col suo coro/ forti cose a pensar mettere in versi”.
