Sometimes, in that vast theatre of the absurd that is social media, the stars align. Other times, worlds that usually sit at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum collide in an inexplicable phenomenology, raising questions that are unlikely ever to find a rational answer.
One initial question might be whether, within these digital spaces, there exists a dimension in which the ninety-two-year-old Michelangelo Pistoletto—one of the leading figures of Arte Povera—could engage in discussion with a global pop star like Britney Spears, now free from her conservatorship, about the value of his public artworks. The answer might well be no, if reality itself hadn’t outdone even a perfectly engineered AI prompt.
A few days ago, the singer shared on her Instagram profile a photo taken by an unknown person in Milan: in the background, in front of Centrale Station in Piazza Duca d’Aosta, stands Pistoletto’s Regenerated Apple, a sculpture that has been part of Milan’s urban landscape for a decade, symbolizing what the artist calls the Third Paradise, that is, a rediscovered and reconciling unity between nature and artifice. The comment accompanying the post is a direct yet perplexing "Where the fuck did that apple come from???".
Pistoletto’s response—who apparently follows Britney Spears on Instagram—was quick to arrive, in the form of an ironic repost and a half-quote from her single Oops!… I Did It Again : “Ciao Britney! I don’t just make Apples. I’m waiting for you @britneyspears in Biella to discover @cittadellarte”. This exchange contains everything: the pop gaze encountering public art, the gap between content, context, and interpretive codes, and above all the power of social media to call into question even the most institutionalised figures.
There is nothing to object to in this “misunderstanding,” then, especially for an artist who has spent decades reflecting on the relationship between society, symbols, and collective participation. All that remains is to wait and see whether this social media collision will turn into an actual appearance by Britney Spears at Cittàdellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto, in Biella, closing the circle on a story with slightly cringe undertones.