The Fondazione Nicola Trussardi has organized an exhibition titled "Fata Morgana" at Milan's Palazzo Morando, featuring 78 artists past and present who channel spiritual, occult, or mediumistic forces. Curated by Massimiliano Gioni, Daniel Birnbaum, and Martha Papini, the show includes works by historical figures such as Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and James Tilly Matthews, alongside contemporary artists like Marianna Simnett, Diego Marcon, Rosemarie Trockel, and Kerstin Brätsch. It also incorporates pieces by nuns, mediums, and psychiatric patients, drawing from collections like the Elmar R. Gruber Collection of Mediumistic Art.
This exhibition matters because it takes seriously Marcel Duchamp's 1957 idea of the artist as a "mediumistic being," challenging conventional distinctions between pathology, spirituality, and creativity. By juxtaposing self-taught artists, spiritualists, and avant-garde icons, the show raises provocative questions about artistic intention and the boundaries of art history. It also avoids the ableism often associated with Art Brut, instead presenting a tightly curated exploration of creativity as compulsion and channeling, making it a significant contribution to ongoing debates about the nature of artistic production.