The opinion – by Andira Vitale

“If you feel pain, you’re alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you’re a human being,” says Leo Tolstoy. In this context, the importance of Art emerges: Because it reminds people of the existence of their soul; gives life to emotions; enables societies to hold on to life; gathers people around beauty, goodness and hope; makes everyone feel good; brings all living things together on a common ground… In other words, making Art is a serious, responsible and immortal work…

San Remo Festival started in Italy, the symbol of Art, the country of the Renaissance. But on the first night, when all eyes were on us, we missed another opportunity that emphasized the beauty and importance of human and community unity. An earthquake, the disaster of the century, took place in our neighbour Turkey. Thousands of people lost their lives in the earthquake that destroyed ten cities. Thousands are still dying under buildings that have turned into lasagna. In this tragic scene that makes up one-fifth of the country, the people constantly call out in pain: “Do you hear my voice?” The same scenes come from Syria…

While the world was focused on this tragedy, the San Remo Festival, one of the world’s most important art festivals, was opening its curtains. I was waiting for a word or a sentence that would give strength to people who are struggling for life or are waiting for their loved ones who are under buildings with hope. And a call to the world… I was even more generous and waited for a paragraph. “Do you hear my voice?” But, unfortunately, even a word to convey art’s empowerment to the people who cry out in pain has never been seen! Festival directors did not even mention the name of the earthquake… And humanity and Art are lost once again…

Instead, Chiara Ferragni’s breasts, butt and nudity, brought to the forefront with her dress displaying the drawing of her body, were presented to the whole world. When Ferragni takes the stage like she’s naked, thousands of earthquake survivors were lying in their beds in a nightgown or pyjamas at minus 10 degrees Celsius… Ferragni’s concern is her body, the freedom of her nakedness, and the letter she wrote in his childhood!… She was right! She was also dragging the masses after her in this way, earning money in this way… And this stance was so popular today that it was honoured as an acceptable value even in San Remo, the starting point of the International Eurovision Music Festival. But this popular culture product, while talking about her naked appearance, forgot about the people who were stuck under the buildings, lying to death in nakedness… She was on stage at an art festival but did not know how to empathize… She was ignorant of the meaning of Art… Italy’s proud art history was pushed behind two large nipples…

And while in the earthquake zone covering the two countries, the flowers stood smashed or bent by the cold and destruction, and a teenager was kicking the flowers on the stage of an international arts festival. Someone who represented San Remo in the world, an artist responsible for setting an example for the youth, was clamouring in front of everyone because he couldn’t hear a sound! At the same time, the rescue teams in the earthquake area were also struggling, saying, “no sound”. But with one difference: Racing against time to save even one life…

And perhaps most importantly, Art was lost in a festival allegedly held in the name of Art… In such an important festival, Art, artists, their works and production processes were pushed into the background… Breasts and butts were given the lead role on the banal stage. Innocent flowers trampled under the feet of an uneducated, and spoiled youth came to the fore…

Finally, you will read a message “in the name of Zelensky, one of the main actors of the wars of international strategies in the context of power and interest”, and you squint at all this… Bravo, you are magnificent… Because you have successfully pushed back the Art and the function of Art, which should be at the forefront…

The most concise response to all this came from Matteo Salvini, who criticized Zelensky’s participation in Italy’s national art competition and the politicization of the festival. This explanation can be evaluated in any context. But this makes a lot of sense for this humble column: “Non penso che la Costituzione abbia bisogno di essere difesa dal palco di Sanremo.”