I Social Network e la comunicazione telematica nell’arte durante la pandemia da Covid-19: alcune distanze salvano, altre distanze uniscono
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/15260
È una dissertazione che vuole evidenziare come il mercato dell’arte a livello globale ha presentato e, nel tempo, consolidato aspetti e risultati riconducibili a profondi cambiamenti a seguito dell’evento pandemico nell’attuale società in cui predomina il virtuale. Ne è conseguito che la comunicazione telematica, sempre più incessante, ha determinato grandi trasformazioni nelle strategie delle case d’asta, in particolare nelle più importanti, quali Christie’s e Sothebys, e conseguenti risultati con bilanci in crescita, nonché una reazione del pubblico decisamente rassicurante. Si fa anche cenno a fiere d’arte on-line e a nuove espressioni artistiche che testimoniano cambiamenti di stili e generi in campo artistico quali: la WopArt, la street art, l’arte digitale. Infine, si fa presente che, nell’ambito delle suddette peculiarità del prodotto artistico e del ciclo di attività, si impone prioritario lo sviluppo di una scienza in cui l’interdisciplinarità, quale sinergia di scienze umane e di scienze sperimentali, rappresenta il frutto congiunto di competenze al di fuori di confini scientifici e geografici.
application/pdf
1973-9494
15260
en
Alexandre Lobodanov
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
interdisciplinarity
Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic: some distances save, other distances unite
Text.Serial.Journal
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/
21
Articles
2022-08-02
2022-07-19
2022-08-02
2022-08-03
355-382
CSCH
Alexandre Lobodanov
2021
10.6092/issn.1973-9494/15260
355
Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
1973-9494
interdisciplinarity
en
382
Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic: some distances save, other distances unite
https://conservation-science.unibo.it/article/download/15260/14500
21
The following paper aims to highlight how the art market at a global level
has introduced and, in the long run, consolidated aspects and results due to
the profound changes that have taken place following the pandemic in to-
day’s society in which the virtual predominates. As a result, the use of re-
mote communication has greatly intensified and led to major transforma-
tions in the strategies of leading auction houses, in particular, Christie’s and
Sotheby’s, with a consequent rise in profits, as well as a decidedly reassur-
ing public reaction. There is also mention of online art fairs, such as WopArt,
and new artistic expressions that testify to changes in styles and genres in
the artistic sector, which include street art and digital art. Finally, within the
context of the peculiarities of these artistic products and cycle of activities,
the priority is to develop a science in which interdisciplinarity, as a synergy
of the human sciences and experimental sciences, represents the result of
uniting different skills outside scientific and geographical boundaries.
S    OCIAL NETWORKS AND TELEMATIC COMMUNICATION
     IN ART DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
     SOME DISTANCES SAVE, OTHER DISTANCES UNITE

    Salvatore Lorusso *   1




    Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

    Alexandre Lobodanov
    Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia



    1. Introduction: the culture of narcissism: competition based on appearance

     In present-day society, in which the virtual predominates, the illusion is offered that ev-
erything is within everyone’s reach. Anyone can become someone, beautiful, rich, fa-
mous, which in today’s measure of value, is often mistaken for “happiness”. So the oppor-
tunities of social networks have become electoral manifestos, not so much for the
proclamations that appear in them, but more for the choice of the reassuring images that
can be published to propose oneself to the public. The general public, such as that of the
Internet, the largest ever audience, is naturally more attracted to success stories than to
real but sad events. Success is the only topic that attracts the public’s attention. They want
to win, but without asking themselves what winning means, because they are immersed
in the culture of narcissism in which there are not only influencers, but all of us. They want
praise from other people, knowing that the competition to obtain it has become very diffi-
cult and winning the contest depends on the exhibition of happiness, fun and success.
     Consequently the question is: “How can you put a limit to this competition based on
appearances?”
     The answer is: “By commitment to the real world”. In this regard, the pandemic is
thought to have changed many things. It is a moment of transition which may even
mean the end of the narcissist wave since, with the ongoing pandemic, there is no rea-
son to draw attention to oneself: the nothingness to which culture refers has possibly
already been contradicted by history.
     While physically we were kept apart during lockdown, the Internet helped us to stay
connected in some way, keeping us in touch with each other as citizens and not only as
dealers in appearances. In fact it is not social media that is to be blamed, but the mer-
cenary culture and commodification of the images for which they have become a vehi-
cle. Among other things, the Internet is not only image, it is also text. The history of blogs
can be traced back to a combination of two elements: words and images, while, to re-
turn to narcissism, it is image above all that dominates the Internet in people’s wishes
and ambitions. Thus, our body has become an object of public debate and of a culture
based on extreme simplification.
     If we really want to come out of this situation and be better for it, why not take an
authentic opportunity to restore dignity and make space again for fear, pain, sadness,
and despondency?


    * Corresponding author: salvatore.lorusso@unibo.it
                                                                                                                 There is then another aspect to underline.
                                                                                                                 Meanwhile technology provides us with new forms and opportunities for building
                                                                                                             relationships and communicating online, the tapping on our phones has become inces-
                                                                                                             sant, representing a way of asserting one’s existence and one’s mutual closeness: vir-
                                                                                                             tual interaction at a distance.
                                                                                                                 It is true that fragmentary textuality, typical of telematic communication, is different, and
                                                                                                             requires different abilities and competences than those of traditional writing. On the one
                                                                                                             side, writing, on the other, texting, messaging, chatting, social networking: the principal dif-
                                                                                                             ference is the de-structuring of the text. Text messages are not only brief, but also incom-
                                                                                                             plete: individual characters of a much longer text constitute a whole dialogue – at a distance.
                                                                                                                 This is what really distinguishes texting from writing: emoticons have been re-
                                                                                                             placed by emojis and gifs, short messages are sent with photos, videos and audios.
                                                                                                                 But in the face of this observation what follows is disappointment. More and more
                                                                                                             frequently we realize that search engines can influence out behavior online. Algorithms
S. Lorusso, A. Lobodanov - Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic




                                                                                                             can exercise some form of control which is different to the one-to-many medias and
                                                                                                             can even become uncontrollable.
                                                                                                                 It is the result of the various ways of transmitting information referable to the chang-
                                                                                                             es in communication that have occurred over the years.
                                                                                                                 From a first temporal phase in which the relationship is between two subjects inter-
                                                                                                             acting with each other, that is, one-to-one (face to face), to a second phase, in which
                                                                                                             the interaction through mass media is one-to-many.
                                                                                                                 It is worth mentioning television and press which communicate a one-way mes-
                                                                                                             sage which has a much wider response from users, but a lesser degree of personal-
                                                                                                             ization of the message. Then there is the more current category, screen to face (one-
                                                                                                             to-one, many-to-many, one-to-many), which refers to the Internet which is a versatile
                                                                                                             instrument of great interactive communication.
                                                                                                                 This latter goes back to what was previously highlighted regarding search engines,
                                                                                                             which can influence people’s online behavior.
                                                                                                                 In fact in this digital age, communication is via technological interface: computer,
                                                                                                             smartphone, etc. in which the user communicates actively and is able to interpret
                                                                                                             moods, needs, feelings, by giving comments and opinions online and social media,
                                                                                                             thus gaining considerable importance. Events show how bugs in the system, through
                                                                                                             software which simulates human activities (bot, short for robot), can influence people.
                                                                                                                 Digital power allows users to enter the technological interface with customized
                                                                                                             messages sometimes inciting them to make rash gestures.
                                                                                                                 It is also evident that, in the face of this type of perversity of social media, there is the
                                                                                                             problem relating to its use to violate laws or distort the democratic system in some way.
                                                                                                                 But if it is true that democracies are in a state of tension between freedom of ex-
                                                                                                             pression and respect for the rules, it is equally true that there are no rules and digital
                                                                                                             power feeds on this lack of rules to grow even more.
                                                                                                                 Those who are responsible for defending the interests of the community, which
                                                                                                             range from hearing everyone’s opinions to not seeing the risks institutions are open to,
                                                                                                             react more slowly than today’s technology and markets.
                                                                                                                 It has always been like that, but it cannot be used as an alibi.
                                                                                                                 How can one regulate oneself on these issues?
                                                                                                                 Are we making enough efforts as educators and trainers of public opinion to strength-
                                                                                                             en the critical spirit of the operators and make them aware of the demagogy of the web?
                                                                                                             If we begin to find answers to these questions, we could move on to the next phase of
                                                                                                             using the Internet: that of a mature digital society.


                                                                            356
   2. The art market during the pandemic

    How and to what extent has the above been applied and interpreted in art?
    Globally, there have been epochal changes in the art market with the pandemic,
which have accelerated its transformation: many galleries have closed, art fairs of have
been seriously affected and turned to virtual alternatives, museums, in particular Amer-
ican ones, have become a risky path of “deaccessioning”, that is, of selling art works
to support acquisitions funds and the like, auction houses, on the contrary, fared better
in 2020 and 2021 than in 2019, fundamentally as a result of digital auctions.
    The best and most important auction houses, Christie’s and Sotheby’s, have in fact
implemented new strategies.
    Christie’s has adopted a “global formula of selling”, that is the “total sales” of high
quality works of art also through hybrid formats involving technology and expertise, with
immediate payment in cash and free evaluation.
    Sotheby’s has adopted a strategy of cross-category selling, in which, their auctions
offer a selection of complementary art works with initial attractive prices, proposing a mix
of paintings, sculptures, installations, street art, photographs, design, jewels.
    In Italy too, the two leading auction houses, Pandolfini and Ponte, did not disap-
point expectations.
    Sotheby’s interest, especially in virtual auctions, has focused on historicized works,
with an excellent promotional bibliography, regardless of era. The auctions have fa-
voured among others: Morandi, Schifano, Boetti, Melotti, De Chirico.
    In the case of Christie’s, the market has rewarded the medium-high economic seg-
ment for artists with a national market. The short list of requested names has grown
longer and longer: among the artists, Boetti, Schifano, Accardi, Lai and others.
    Other auction houses include Finarte, which in 2020 chose a digital solution to pro-
mote and sell their works, thus diversifying and fostering customer loyalty.
    But there have been other reasons which have determined extremely positive re-
sults and a decidedly reassuring reaction from the public due to the particular given to




                                                                                                 CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
what were once niche sectors, such as philately, books, jewels, designs.
    Therefore, despite the pandemic, in 2020 financial statements closed positively
compared to 2019, in addition to reconfirming the considerable impulse of private ne-
gotiations with significant investments in artworks made online.


   3. Among the online art fairs: Work on Paper (WopArt)

     Among the art fairs which have become a winning activity, an emblematic example
is represented by WopArt, an international art fair that is held annually in Lugano, Swit-
zerland. In 2020 the fifth edition of WopArt, dedicated to art works on paper, was post-
poned from September to November.
     Because of the worsening pandemic, the organizers have opted to make it a “virtu-
al fair”. A courageous decision and a rewarding one, because the market-exhibition,
which should have finished on 27 December 2020 continued through to 10 January
2021, because it was so successful. Online entries from 26 November to 15 December
were in the order of about 40,000 with an average visiting time of 4 minutes. Using their
mouse, visitors could enter the virtual exhibition, moving around freely inside the
three-dimensional context to view the art and browse the stands of 45 international gal-
leries with 400 works on display. In fact the virtual exhibition, seen in a completely auto-
matic manner, links the chosen path and the viewed works to the program.


                                                                                               357
                                                                                                                  Even during the holiday period of forced lockdown, collectors were able to visit the
                                                                                                             six pavilions to look for good investments. The works of art ranged in price from 600
                                                                                                             euros to one million, determining rumors about the sales and negotiations among the
                                                                                                             various gallery directors.
                                                                                                                  Among the historical masterpieces to be sold were: drawings, watercolors, paper
                                                                                                             works, paintings and many others, which appeared on numerous virtual walls. Choos-
                                                                                                             ing a selection of works, interested buyers could write to the gallery directors who, af-
                                                                                                             ter lockdown, would take the works to their premises without any obligation. There was
                                                                                                             also the possibility to enjoy an exciting walk around the virtual pavilions of the fair, in
                                                                                                             addition to those of the sponsors, such as Bnp Paribas, Eberhard or Swiss Logistic
                                                                                                             Center, accompanied by the organizers’ carefully selected background music. Works
                                                                                                             by Klimt, Léger, Fontana, Picasso, Accardi, Kokoschka, D’Orazio, etc. could be ad-
                                                                                                             mired, while at the same time, symphonies and songs by some of the great musicians
                                                                                                             from different historical periods played.
S. Lorusso, A. Lobodanov - Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic




                                                                                                                  The story of WopArt, opened in 2016, has continued to respond to the needs of en-
                                                                                                             thusiasts seeking to defend a niche segment of the art market. The segment is that of
                                                                                                             works on paper support which over the years have become highly collectible, both in
                                                                                                             terms of quality and price. It is on paper that ideas take shape. For some artists it is a
                                                                                                             temporary support on which to sketch their preparatory drawings, used to create more
                                                                                                             complex works. But paper, sometimes regarded as not being a very noble support be-
                                                                                                             cause it is within everyone’s reach, can also be used to create masterpieces conceived
                                                                                                             to live their life on this support.
                                                                                                                  The 2021 edition of WopArt held in Lugano in Switzerland at the Exhibition Centre,
                                                                                                             was a special edition, called “Extra Time Exhibition”, because it represented a return to
                                                                                                             on-site presences after the success of the 2020 on-line edition.
                                                                                                                  It was designed as a festival, as an interlude leading up to the 6th edition in 2022.
                                                                                                             The list of the various events includes exhibitions, conferences and debates, particu-
                                                                                                             larly relating to the transformation of the art market after the pandemic.
                                                                                                                  Foundations and galleries presented unpublished works of contemporary, modern
                                                                                                             and ancient art and could discuss these works on paper with collectors and visitors
                                                                                                             alike: a market which currently allows collectors and enthusiasts to find pieces by both
                                                                                                             established and emerging artists.
                                                                                                                  The theme of the 2020 edition was “Fluidity”: a concept, of “fluid, with no reason to
                                                                                                             belong, which – it has been said (Hermann Hesse) – “captures the essence of our
                                                                                                             time. Just as it is not possible to bathe twice in the same water, so the soul of art lives
                                                                                                             as if suspended in the life in between.”
                                                                                                                  Conferences and discussions were held with artists, curators, merchants and art
                                                                                                             historians; worth a mention were the exhibition of watercolors by a literary personality,
                                                                                                             the Nobel Prize, Herman Hesse, some masterpieces from the BNP Paribas Swiss
                                                                                                             Foundation collection, a number of selected works by emerging artists and a variety of
                                                                                                             photographs chosen from the thousands that were available.


                                                                                                                4. Street art and patronage in contemporary art

                                                                                                                Equally important, though limited to this short account, is another expression of our
                                                                                                             times and our “surroundings”, street art, which redesigns our neighborhoods and en-
                                                                                                             hances the suburbs. In fact, on the outskirts of the big cities, there is clear evidence of
                                                                                                             a change in style and genre in the artistic sector which has affected the urban and sub-


                                                                            358
urban fabric in which they were shaped, with the aim of changing it, and starting from
the peripheries full of narratives, ideas and stories to be told.
     But can this art genre – street art – really affect the communities that inhabit those
neighborhoods, experience them, and at times even tolerate them? To do so, it not only
has to act, it has to interact with the urban fabric. And it is especially young people who
must be attentive toward the cities, intervening whenever possible, by saving them
from being abandoned and telling the stories about the citizens and their feelings.
     But there is another aspect to consider as the artistic expression of a reality that op-
erates in the places described previously, even though they are in areas and zones ad-
jacent to those connected to street art: the patronage of contemporary art on the part
of large companies such as Arnaldo Energia, Cdp Immobiliare, ENI, TIM. In this case,
the artist must be able to draw inspiration, for his imagination, from the company’s pro-
duction processes which, in turn, must be able to acquire the necessary tools to read
reality in an original and innovative manner. Within the context of this patronage, an
Italian excellence, the result is that there is reciprocal support between art, entrepre-
neurship and the public sector, a moment of integration between genius, economy and
ethics, a principle of identity in our culture.
     The resulting artwork displays a complex reality where humanism, innovation and
technology, communicate with each other and constantly intertwine, demonstrating
how the encounter between art and business is not only still possible, but necessary,
because it heralds new and stimulating points of view.
     But it is also true that we must try to forget the division between center and periph-
ery, otherwise a sort of judgement and distance is created, and authenticity is lost. Its
representation must be considered from the point of view of the characters and re-
turned through the artwork. Empathy and sharing the feelings and lives of these art-
works come into play, so that they become known and are preserved. What remains
for the authors of these products is the experience, bringing about a growth and trans-
formation in their vision of the world.




                                                                                                   CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
     In redesigning the aesthetics of the cities, street art occasionally emerges from its
anonymity and creates encounters with daily activities involving the inhabitants; by
bringing together street art, environmental education and projects for green spaces, at-
tention is directed toward the nature and native species of the territory, sparking a dia-
logue with the murals on the management of public space which belongs to everyone.
     The inhabitants where the artwork is depicted feel special in some way, and proud-
ly start to take care of it with collaborative community spirit.
     However, though art does its job, for a real change to happen, external interven-
tions by local management and administration are equally important: this is how to be-
gin to tell the story of the neighborhoods, also in a different key compared to how they
have been told in the past.


   5. Digital art

   Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more dominant in the operative compo-
nents of our life, and, in an unstoppable historical process, it is also true for artistic ex-
pression. One achievement relating to technological progress, that historically may
represent an opening for the future, is the use of NFTs (abbreviation of non-fungible to-
kens) in digital art: in simple terms they represent certification of ownership of a digital
asset and is unique. This innovation in the art market means anyone who buys an NFT


                                                                                                 359
                                                                                                             artwork, acquires a digital work, not a material one, but gives them the possibility of
                                                                                                             demonstrating their right of ownership and is guaranteed by an IT protocol that facili-
                                                                                                             tates the negotiation.
                                                                                                                 In today’s art world, there are digital artists have been producing authentic works
                                                                                                             for some years, and other artists who reproduce works by other authors also on the in-
                                                                                                             ternet, creating consequent problems of distinguishing them from the authentic works
                                                                                                             to establish their authorship, determining their unauthorized distribution also online.
                                                                                                                 On the contrary the current innovative NFT has the particular and significant aspect
                                                                                                             of being able to trace the work back to its author(s), thus guaranteeing its authenticity.
                                                                                                             To make an NFT drop, a term which indicates the exact date and time of the sale of an
                                                                                                             artwork, there are platforms where online auctions of digital art are held. The works to
                                                                                                             be sold at auction have no bidding base, so they go to the first highest bidders. If de-
                                                                                                             mand exceeds supply, lots are drawn in a kind of virtual lottery to decide. Some hours
                                                                                                             before the drop, bidders can also chat online with the author. We therefore speak about
S. Lorusso, A. Lobodanov - Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic




                                                                                                             “programmable art”, an art movement that is evolving because the sale of artworks
                                                                                                             stored using “blockchain” technology, a kind of digital ledger that can be shared, but
                                                                                                             cannot be altered, has increased exponentially in recent years, and by entering corpo-
                                                                                                             rate collections such as Visa and Coca Cola, winning over important personalities, in-
                                                                                                             cluding well-known auction houses such as Christie’s and bringing about advances in
                                                                                                             modern technologies with high-definition screens, projectors, virtual reality viewers.


                                                                                                                6. Young artists’ creativity during the Covid-19 pandemic

                                                                                                                 We turned to three graduates from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Moscow,
                                                                                                             Anna Kazmina, Daria Zhestyreva and Alina Glazun, young, but already well-known art-
                                                                                                             ists, to ask them their opinion on problems of creativity during this difficult period in life.
                                                                                                             The girls live in different countries and cities: Anna lives and works in Beijing, Daria in
                                                                                                             New York, Alina in Moscow.
                                                                                                                 Anna teaches at the college of the Academy of Arts of Beijing in the field of contem-
                                                                                                             porary art. The whole situation unfolded before her eyes. The most difficult thing for
                                                                                                             Anna as a teacher and artist was, in her opinion, the restriction on the social space of
                                                                                                             communication: the usually crowded classrooms at the college were empty, the stu-
                                                                                                             dents who usually chattered non-stop started to avoid any type of contact, everything
                                                                                                             seemed to freeze like the landscape that surrounded them. Anna walked with her baby
                                                                                                             through deserted places where there was nothing but dry grass and a freezing wind.
                                                                                                             But, Anna says, it was fantasy that saved her from this loneliness, as well as a state of
                                                                                                             extreme concentration.
                                                                                                                 Alina says the same thing: for her the pandemic became a period of finding an in-
                                                                                                             ner balance and harmony once more. Alina only works at home where she is extreme-
                                                                                                             ly happy. In this context, the pandemic hardly affected her lifestyle at all.
                                                                                                                 It was essential that all three young artists went back to drawing. Daria, who is used
                                                                                                             to thinking about paintings or huge installations, noticed that she had started to draw in
                                                                                                             a new way. She says that in order to stay sane, she started to create one (or some-
                                                                                                             times two) digital works of art each day, inspired by the experience of Beeple Crap
                                                                                                             (also known as Mike Winkelmann, an American graphic designer), a multimedia artist
                                                                                                             who created a work of digital art every day for more than 10 years continuously. It
                                                                                                             turned out to be a great way to focus, learn new techniques and, in general, find inspi-
                                                                                                             ration for more works. Art, Daria confidently says, remains a source of inspiration and
                                                                                                             a strength for the future. Whatever happens, art lives on because it lives inside us.


                                                                       360
     The psychological depression Anna experienced during the first months of the pan-
demic in Beijing deprived her of the strength to create pictures because in Anna’s opin-
ion, creating is an activity that requires a great deal of energy: complete immersion in
your work, dedication, a way to “forget” oneself when material, significance and form
consequently become a multidimensional understanding of oneself. But human be-
ings, as we know, adapt to any situation: Anna continued to draw on paper, then moved
to other formats and materials.
     The period of the pandemic led these young artists to choose a new creative mate-
rial. In one case, for example, the prevailing conditions – the lack of the usual studio
and only the small space in the flat - led Anna to work with ecological raw materials.
                                                    Previously She had previously worked
                                                    in a large-scale laboratory, experi-
                                                    menting with various materials, trans-
                                                    forming the place into a sort of bat-
                                                    tlefield – canvases, paper, pigments,
                                                    glue, building equipment – where nat-
                                                    urally the words of the great A. A. Ak-
                                                    matova come to mind: “If you only
                                                    knew from what rubbish/ poems un-
                                                    ashamedly grow”.
                                                         A significant factor in the life of our
                                                    young artists was communicating via
                                                    the Internet with their ex-classmates
                                                    from the Faculty of Arts of the State
                                                    University of Moscow. In 2019 Anna
                                                    made sketches of some future sculp-
                                                    tures but was unable to find the best
                                                    way to express her creative idea. “A




                                                                                                     CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
                                                    suggestion from a sculptor friend
                                                    helped me to learn about polymer clay
                                                    and it was the ideal solution in such
                                                    limited working conditions”, Anna
                                                    says. She acquired a new freer cre-
                                                    ative state, exchanging thoughts with
                                                    people from the artistic sector with
                                                    whom there had been no constant
                                                    contact before the pandemic. Before,
                                                    everyone had been immersed in their
                                                    usual round of business and when
                                                    the social cataclysm happened, their
                                                    conscience passed to another level
Figure 1. Anna Kazmina, A sore tree (polymer clay,  which was clearly and evidently re-
gold leaf - 65x19x14 cm), 2020.                     flected in their creativity (Figure 1).
                                                         Daria, instead, focused entirely
on the creation of multimedia art, something she had wanted to do for a long time; it
was time to throw herself headlong into a realm full of possibilities that would chal-
lenge analogous limitations. Speaking about the real world, Daria believes that we
should not forget the importance of the technology that surrounds us. This fact chang-
es not only the face of the world but also the very idea of it. Today, when we create a


                                                                                                   361
                                                                                                             work of art, to make it easier for the spectator to understand it, you have to study
                                                                                                             those languages in which communication takes place face to face and search for the
                                                                                                             connections it has with the past, and so become a “medium” which reveals a picture
                                                                                                             of the future and its images.
                                                                                                                 And this is the reason for the online NFT (Not Fungible Tokens) frenzy that has be-
                                                                                                             come such because the world has changed a lot, immensely. Art is necessary in order
                                                                                                             to record the truth confidently, to dream of new realities and, ultimately, to change the
                                                                                                             world. And this has become more than possible during lockdown because we learned
                                                                                                             about the importance of public art. This art form moved from the streets to the Internet
                                                                                                             and, despite the fact access to it appeared to be the result of hopeless idleness, it ac-
                                                                                                             tually represented an innovative artistic expression.
                                                                                                                 An artist gathers experience, impressions, and all those thoughts and feelings
                                                                                                             which, when combined, give birth to the final artistic product. While she was teaching
                                                                                                             in the years of the pandemic, Anna noticed that what the students had previously con-
S. Lorusso, A. Lobodanov - Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic




                                                                                                             ceived together grew in conditions of solitude and concentration. Both her earlier ideas
                                                                                                             and the later ones of her students, as well as the way in which their work was produced
                                                                                                             during the pandemic, had given a more mature result.
                                                                                                                 Alina’s work process during the pandemic followed her usual way of working from
                                                                                                             home. International projects had been suspended, joint projects had been postponed in-
                                                                                                             definitely, agreements for public art cancelled, but the request for private pieces re-
                                                                                                                                                                   mained stable. Collectors contin-
                                                                                                                                                                   ued to replenish their collections.
                                                                                                                                                                   The number of buyers increased,
                                                                                                                                                                   people who buy works of art to the
                                                                                                                                                                   best of their ability, without posing
                                                                                                                                                                   as experts, without considering art
                                                                                                                                                                   in terms of investment. There were
                                                                                                                                                                   also people with money that had
                                                                                                                                                                   only become available because of
                                                                                                                                                                   travel and entertainment. Cooped
                                                                                                                                                                   up in their homes, they decided to
                                                                                                                                                                   concentrate on embellishing their
                                                                                                                                                                   houses, to try out something more
                                                                                                                                                                   than just a poster or a beautiful floor
                                                                                                                                                                   lamp and so discovered the afford-
                                                                                                                                                                   able art market of young artists. “I
                                                                                                                                                                   was very satisfied with my income
                                                                                                                                                                   during the pandemic”, Alina says.
                                                                                                                                                                        The pandemic period has had
                                                                                                                                                                   a different impact on the life and
                                                                                                                                                                   work of our young artists. Alina
                                                                                                                                                                   Glazun writes that the pandemic
                                                                                                                                                                   has given her great impetus: teach-
                                                                                                                                                                   ing us to take more care of our-
                                                                                                                                                                   selves and our loved ones, to sim-
                                                                                                                                                                   plify our actions, thoughts and
                                                                                                                                                                   desires, to become a calmer, more
                                                                                                                                                                   coherent and more joyful person
                                                                                                             Figure 2. Alina Glazun, Untitled (mixed media), 2020. (Figure 2).


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     Daria Zhestyreva observes that the pandemic brought to the surface feelings of
isolation, uncertainty and fear of future instability because of suspended projects and
exhibitions, but then became a truly unique moment to focus on our wellbeing and the
opportunity it gave to broaden our learning through online resources, to trust in the
journey we have chosen and to be motivated in our creativity. These were the import-
ant conditions that became reality. Daria notes that “under the pressure of uncertainty
of the new reality we had to face, it was definitely a unique opportunity to accept our-
selves and focus on our work”.
     In spite of the lockdown, exhibitions were held both in galleries and in digital spac-
es throughout the whole pandemic. Daria noticed that during this period it became eas-
ier to communicate with other artists and creators; everybody needed help, and every-
body was happy to help. The world has changed and such a change in routine has
brought about a change in the vision of the world. A great many concerts and exhibi-
tions took place online. “By exploring meta-spaces, online galleries and artistic proj-
ects of gamification, that is, according to the logic of gaming”, Daria says, “I met a lot
of artists with new ideas and visions and became a part of this new trend. The request
for multimedia art derives mainly from the fact that the artist does not work with the ma-
terial as such, but with the physical interpretation of the energy, with something that is
similar to the potential of sensuality and which, at the same time, gives the outline for
the kinetics of the movement” (Figure 3).




                                                                                                 CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE




        Figure 3. Daria Zhest, Classical color burn (Oil on canvas, 170x200 cm), 2021.


    Daria perceives the period of the pandemic with sobriety. Indeed, she says: “the poles
have simply shifted: simple things have become unusual, expected situations have be-
come unattainable, but there is no real difference. If you are driven by an idea, you should
consider all of this as a change of time in a window of opportunities, observe and leave.
    At the beginning of the pandemic, I was seized by a kind of childish mischievous
joy due to the fact that the world had stopped. As if before it there was not enough time
for anything, everything happened too quickly and the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)


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                                                                                                             became an integral daily feeling, the local expression of a fairytale about lost time: it is
                                                                                                             fundamental not to miss anything important in this crowded city. There were many rea-
                                                                                                             sons that made me realize it was time to change the way I felt about my job, about my-
                                                                                                             self and our communities. Many things that previously seemed important, now seem to
                                                                                                             be irrelevant. My perception of time has changed, space itself has been reduced to the
                                                                                                             boundaries of our home, but doors have opened to completely new situations. In some
                                                                                                             way, the winter and the silence made themselves felt. A feeling of infiniteness, the ab-
                                                                                                             surdity of the situation and uncertainty started to hit us literally, reflected in the waves
                                                                                                             of mass anxiety: it became quite dangerous to live in New York, peaceful protests turned
                                                                                                             into attacks, ideological conflicts, prejudices, the destruction of small enterprises, fires
                                                                                                             and robberies. An absurdity: at 10 pm on a Saturday night, Times Square, where it is
                                                                                                             usually impossible to squeeze through the crowds of tourists, theatre and concert hall
                                                                                                             goers, was completely empty. You are seeing an unimaginable picture, just you and
                                                                                                             a huge number of flickering screens advertising goods that shout: Time to grab me!
S. Lorusso, A. Lobodanov - Social networks and telematic communication in art during the Covid-19 pandemic




                                                                                                             We have released something new! Buy, buy, buy! And there is no one to see it, to feel
                                                                                                             it. Theoretically, such desperation has always existed, but now it can be seen close up.
                                                                                                             Undoubtedly a unique experience”.


                                                                                                                7. Integrating knowledge and correct communication

                                                                                                                 The imagined idea is invisible at first, even though it is visible to the innovator, but
                                                                                                             then takes shape and becomes visible in a product, a service, a process: exactly like the
                                                                                                             effect of the evolutive path of scientific research. In Einstein’s words: “Imagination is
                                                                                                             more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand,
                                                                                                             while imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolu-
                                                                                                             tion”. A community of experts who encourage exchanges between art and science, fuel-
                                                                                                             ing discussions in an engaging full immersion, contribute to ensuring that artistic creation
                                                                                                             – whose sublime character of exceptionality is attributed to the previous idea imagined
                                                                                                             by the artist which he then transforms into a finished product – is integrated into the
                                                                                                             experimentation and technological innovation which is the prerogative of the technician.
                                                                                                                 In other words, creation is not a solitary event, a private revelation, but a complex
                                                                                                             and transversal construction. That is why, in art, what is needed is an interdisciplinary
                                                                                                             dialogue between the human sciences and experimental sciences which involves their
                                                                                                             integrated know-how.
                                                                                                                 It is also true, as Saint Augustine points out “Confessio ignorantiae gradus est sci-
                                                                                                             entiae”, confessing ignorance is a step towards science. The humbleness of acknowl-
                                                                                                             edging what we don’t know is, therefore, the basis from which to start.
                                                                                                                 This, essentially involves social responsibility, which is part of science, that is, the
                                                                                                             extreme attention to be given to what is communicated, without failing to respect data
                                                                                                             and competences and providing information that is correct and complete.
                                                                                                                 In art we refer to various topics of historical, technical, conservative, economic, le-
                                                                                                             gal, social, managerial and also mercantile-market interest, for which IT methods and
                                                                                                             means represent a decidedly valid support in the dissemination of information.
                                                                                                                 In this manner, with respect to its previously mentioned imagination, knowledge of
                                                                                                             the art work from the previous evaluation, even when considering the sublime aspect
                                                                                                             of exceptionality, and peculiarity of the artistic creation, gives rise to an equally import-
                                                                                                             ant cycle of activities, involving social networks, the web, a digital revolution. And it is
                                                                                                             the latter activities which, especially during the long period of the pandemic, have fos-
                                                                                                             tered exchanges and opinions.


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   The result is a new indispensable knowledge which gives rise to new opportunities
and an equally important cycle of activities in the art field, creating new business and
social models driven by a more anthropocentric innovation.


   8. Conclusion

     In the context of the aforementioned peculiarities of the artistic product and cycle of
activities, there is a consequent step which follows that of the interdisciplinary dialogue
between the human and experimental sciences mentioned above: the consequent
phase of synergy between the sciences relating to interdisciplinarity.
     Therefore, we are speaking of interdisciplinarity, not simple ambition but a funda-
mental priority for the development of science that goes beyond scientific and geo-
graphical limits, thus representing the joint fruit of competences and experiences in a
virtuous circle where reason and truth cooperate. It follows that, if it is true that art is
the expression of beauty, it is equally true, to quote Plato, that “Beauty is the splendor
of the truth”. In other words, beauty in this context does not refer to the aesthetic value
of an object, but its hidden message and ineffable content in real life (Truth). However,
centuries later the French writer Paul Valery replied: “The definition of beauty is easy;
it is what leads you to desperation”.
     In conclusion, it is possible to affirm that interdisciplinarity in art is the result that
combines truth and beauty.


   Biographical notes

    Salvatore Lorusso was formerly a full Professor at the University of Bologna. He
is a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences; Emeritus Professor




                                                                                                    CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
of the Cultural Heritage Institute of Zhejiang University (China); formerly a Visiting Pro-
fessor at the Academy of Social Science of Zhejiang University, China; Visiting Profes-
sor of the Faculty of Arts, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia; formerly
vice-president and Councilor of the Società italiana per il Progresso delle Scienze
(SIPS, established in 1839). He is Direttore Generale of the Accademia della Cultura
Enogastronomica. His biography appears in the 2016 Marquis Edition of Who’s Who in
the World. He is the author of over 440 publications in national and international jour-
nals and 24 volumes and monographs covering commodity science, cultural heritage
and environmental issues. In 1997, he founded the Diagnostic Laboratory for Cultural
Heritage at the Ravenna Campus of the University of Bologna and remained head of
the Laboratory for eighteen years. In 2001 he founded the historical-technical Journal
“Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage” of which he is Editor-in-Chief. His scientif-
ic work deals mainly with the study of the “system: artifact-environment-biota” and di-
agnostic, analytical, technical and economic evaluation within the context of the pro-
tection and valorization of cultural and environmental heritage.

    Aleksandre Lobodanov was born in Moscow on September 7, 1950. He graduat-
ed in 1973 in Romance Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities at Moscow State Uni-
versity (Lomonosov). He is professor of History of the Italian language (1997); chair of
semiotics and general theory of art at the same university (2003) and founder and
dean of the Faculty of Arts (2001). He is the author of 16 monographs on problems re-


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                                                                                                             lating to Romance, Slavic-romance linguistics, history and theory of art, and art semi-
                                                                                                             otics. He has published more than 100 articles in various languages in Italy, Germany,
                                                                                                             Belgium, the USA, China, Lebanon. He is a member of the Association for the History
                                                                                                             of the Italian Language (1998, Florence) and has given lectures on issues relating to
                                                                                                             grammar, art history and art semiotics in various universities in Rome, Florence, Bolo-
                                                                                                             gna, Pisa, Berlin, New York, Prague, Belgrade, Beijing, Beirut and other countries.
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