The Robert Klein Meteor. Contemporary Perspectives on Art Criticism

On 15 May 2026, the Sala Lettura of the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidese will host the study day The Robert Klein Meteor. Contemporary Perspectives on Art Criticism, curated by Giovanni Iovane and Massimiliano Rossi.
The seminar takes its starting point from the recent publication Robert Klein: A Meteor in Art History and Philosophy, edited by Alina Payne, Alessandro Nova and Jérémie Koering (Rome, Officina Libraria, 2024), and offers a reflection on the figure of the art historian Robert Klein, one of the most original voices in twentieth-century art criticism.
Through a series of contributions by Italian and international scholars, the study day will reconstruct Klein’s intellectual profile and bring together different contemporary perspectives in the fields of art criticism and aesthetics, examining the continuing relevance of his research and its methodological legacy within art historical studies.
The initiative is part of the PNRR INTAFAM project PNRR INTAFAM IartNET project – an international platform for artistic research and cultural heritage at Italian higher arts education institutions, funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, Mission 4 and coordinated by Nicoletta Leonardi.
The study day aims to offer an opportunity for interdisciplinary discussion on contemporary art criticism, starting from the “meteor” figure of Robert Klein and the enduring vitality of his thought.

PROGRAMME

h. 10:00 – 10:30 AM | Introduction
Nicoletta Leonardi, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
Giovanni Iovane, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera
Massimiliano Rossi, Università del Salento

h. 10.30 – 10:50 AM | Alina Payne, Villa I Tatti, The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, Florence

h. 10:50 – 11.10 AM | Stéphane Toussaint, CNRS, Paris

h. 11:10 – 11:30 AM | Eva Struhal, Università degli Studi di Trento

h. 11:30 – 11:50 AM | Coffee Break

h. 11:50 – 12:10 AM | Alessandro Rovetta, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano

h. 12:10 – 12:30 AM | Tommaso Casini, IULM

h. 12:30 – 12:50 AM | Rodolfo Maffeis, Politecnico di Milano

h. 12:50 AM – 2:00 PM | Lunch Break

h. 2:00 – 2:20 PM | Giovanni Iovane, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera

h. 2:20 – 2:40 PM | Marcello Sessa, Politecnico di Milano

h. 2:40 – 3:00 PM | Federico Ferrari, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera

h. 3:00 – 3:20 PM | Coffee Break

h. 3:20 – 3:40 PM | Maurizio Guerri, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera

h. 3:40 – 4:00 PM | Massimiliano Rossi, Università del Salento

For information
iartnet.ricercafadbrera.edu.it