MANIFESTO OF DEMOCRATIC ART

Publication

“When we think of Democratic Art we often mean that form of art accessible to all from an economic point of view… but in fact there is much more… This is why I wanted to write this Manifesto, to make a clearer concept which in two words contains not only an idea but also a lifestyle”

(Cesare Catania)

This document helps to understand what is meant by Democratic Art. The manifesto in question, written by Cesare Catania, is the result of a personal experience that led him to conceive Democratic Art as the highest form of artistic expression, not so much for the aesthetic manifestation but for the meaning that the work itself takes on what is configured as a message of universal communication rather than a simple stylistic exercise.

Full version of the Democratic Art Manifesto

1. Purpose

Democratic art is that form of art, understood in all its expressive forms, where artistic creation is no longer the ultimate goal aimed at by the artist, but rather the means through which to spread a universal message. Art goes from an aesthetic lesson to a concrete means of communication and is aimed at everyone.

2 Ethics

Democratic art has as its ultimate goal that of doing good in an ethical way, and it does so through the most powerful way of communication, that is art.

3. Accessibility

Democratic Art is that artistic expression, whether pictorial, sculptural, musical, verbal, poetic, which places the idea of accessibility to all at the center of its creation.

4. Involvement

An artist who creates a democratic work of art does so with the main purpose of actively engaging people.

5. Inclusivity

A democratic work of art, among its main characteristics, should have that of inclusiveness, therefore representing different voices, perspectives and points of view, including groups considered marginalized or underrepresented.

6. Education

An artist who wants to join the democratic art movement promotes, among other things, artistic education and cultural awareness as proper means to enrich the lives of people and communities.

7. Diffusion

A democratic work of art, whether physical or digital, prose or poetic, instrumental or sung, can leverage digital technologies to disseminate and share art more widely and innovatively.

8. Sustainability

An artist who produces democratic art also does so in the profound belief in the sustainability that his work of art transmits. Promoting artistic practices that are environmentally and socially sustainable is at the heart of democratic art creation.

9. Fruition

The democratic work of art should have a monumental or at least public display, not necessarily in ownership, but at least in public enjoyment.

10. Interdisciplinarity

The maximum of the idea of democratic art is expressed when there is interaction between different disciplines in artistic creation, for example between art in the strict sense and other disciplines such as science, technology, sociology, and politics, precisely with a view to enrich its content and impact.

cultural background

How does Cesare Catania arrive at the concept of Democratic Art ?

The path that leads the Italian artist to conceive the Manifesto of Democratic Art starts in 2015, when he creates “ReArt“, his first work of art created from urban waste. On this occasion Catania understands the importance that art can have in promoting sustainability.

In 2015 and 2016, Cesare Catania created the first two versions of “L’Abbraccio”, very famous pictorial works that will give rise to a real collection, as well as the “Embrace Project“, an artistic and socio-cultural project which enhances closeness between people. In this case, art goes from the ultimate goal aimed at by the artist to a means of doing good in an ethical manner.

The path that led the Italian artist to conceive the Manifesto of Democratic Art continues in 2017, when he created the first work of art for people suffering from Dalton Syndrome (“The Mouth of Etna E Version“). On that occasion he understood that art could be the means through which to overcome cultural barriers and represent minorities.

In 2020, with the advent of NFT, Catania suffered the difference between its universal possession of an art opera and its unique ownership. Pioneer of digital art on web3, the Italian artist creates his artistic percorso in the traditional world in what digital world, to found himself in a unique phygital world with high social and democratic impact with the project for the Biennale di Venezia 2024.

Manifesto of Democratic Art

Full version of the Democratic Art Manifesto

How does Cesare Catania arrive at the concept of Democratic Art ?

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... and now
discover the other works of art
by Cesare Catania ...

... and if you want to know everything about his
"most famous artworks",
scroll the slider below...

or
return to the main menu