Jam Sessions: Celant and Battisti, Modern and Early Modern Connections

Abstract

THE ROLE OF THE CRITIC GERMANO CELANT (1940–2020) in defining and establishing the reputation of the contemporary art movement Arte Povera is well known. In particular, the association of the movement with materials and process largely derives from his contribution to the volume Arte Povera, simultaneously published in English translation as Art Povera in 1969. Less well known is Celant’s use of the work of Eugenio Battisti (1924–1989), a scholar of Renaissance studies, whose major publication was L’antirinascimento (1962). While this connection has been acknowledged in the scholarship, what the young critic took from Battisti, and how he used it in his own work, has yet to be fully explored. Specifically, what was the impact of L’antirinascimento on the young critic and how did Battisti’s version of an anti-Renaissance speak to contemporary art? Conversely, given Battisti’s interest and support of developments in art and culture in Italy in the 1960s, in part through