L’adolescenza è una condizione culturale e l’arte lo dimostra. Intervista alla curatrice Julia Marchand
Julia Marchand, former curator at the Fondation Vincent van Gogh in Arles (2015–2023), has published a new book titled "I Am The F****** Subject: Art and Adolescence" with Lenz Press. The book is the culmination of a decade-long research project called Extramentale, which explores adolescence not as a biological age but as a cultural condition and artistic posture. Marchand, who now lives in Venice, also curated the Georgian national pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. The volume includes essays and interviews by researchers such as Julie Ackermann, Giulia Mariachiara Galiano, and Anya Harrison, as well as conversations with artists who participated in Extramentale.
This matters because the book reframes adolescence as a persistent cultural and artistic stance rather than a fleeting life stage, challenging conventional boundaries between youth and adulthood. By linking contemporary art practices to broader social phenomena like extremism and extended adolescence, Marchand’s work offers a fresh lens for understanding how art reflects and critiques evolving cultural identities. The project also highlights the role of independent curatorial research in shaping discourse around art and society.