Francesco Alberoni, in his “pubblico-privato” column (Corriere della Sera, July 19, 2010), provides quite an interesting take to explain the evolution of art patronage in Italy since the post-war period.

Over the decades of the so-called economy boom, the industry was the driving force behind riches and the “enlightened” entrepreneur shared part of his or her wealth with the community by means of art patronage, whose signs and accomplishments are still visible in many parts of the Country.

More recently, remarks Alberoni, wealth is achieved mainly through finance and the show-business (entertainment, sports, etc.). This kind of wealth is often achieved rapidly, born on bits and “soft” competences, and that lives on the speed and on the ephemeral.
The new global business, fragmented and delocalized, dilutes that link between enterprises and the local environment that was so crucial to the development of art patronage in the Fifties and Sixties.
Today’s enterprises are ran by managers who do not nourish stable links with the local milieu, since the nature of their professional duties leads them to be “stray”.

All this is reasonable and easily confirmed to the eye of a trained beholder. Nevertheless a few questions are well-founded:
shouldn’t be the desire of those who accumulate wealth rapidly to invest in culture in order to leave a tangible mark of their actions?
in an economy system that is by its own nature driven by the intangible, doesn’t art patronage stand as an antidote to oblivion?