Andrea Mecacci

Andrea Mecacci (born 1972 in Rome) is a Full Professor of Aesthetics (SSD: PHIL-04/A) at the Department of Literature and Philosophy (DILEF) of the University of Florence. He serves as Coordinator of the PhD Programme in Philosophy Pisa-Firenze (from November 2025), Coordinator of the Philosophy Unit at DILEF (from November 2024), and Coordinator of the Research Unit PTS (Pratiche estetiche, trasformazioni antropologiche, scenari contemporanei). He also represents DILEF for the New European Bauhaus NEB project funded by the European Commission.

Professor Mecacci's research focuses on two main interconnected areas: the history of aesthetics with particular emphasis on classical German philosophy, and conceptual categories related to the aestheticization of the contemporary world, including pop culture, postmodernism, diffuse aesthetics, and kitsch. His scholarly work bridges historical philosophical analysis with contemporary cultural phenomena, examining how aesthetic categories permeate everyday life beyond traditional art contexts.

With a career spanning over two decades, Professor Mecacci has developed significant expertise in German idealism, particularly Hölderlin studies, while simultaneously exploring contemporary aesthetic phenomena. His research demonstrates how concepts like kitsch have evolved from markers of 'bad taste' to complex cultural categories that illuminate our relationship with mass culture, design, and visual media in postmodern society. His recent publications and conference presentations reveal a growing interest in digital aesthetics, hyperreality, and the globalization of aesthetic experience.

• Current Teaching Responsibilities:
• Aesthetics (Degree Course in Philosophy)
• Aesthetics (Degree Course in Arts, Music and Entertainment Disciplines)
• Visual and Media Aesthetics (Master's Degree in Philosophical Sciences)
• Aesthetics and Languages of Art (Master's Degree in Practices, Languages and Cultures of Communication)

• Recent Major Publications:
• Kitsch y neokitsch. Hacia una estética difusa (2025)
• Estetica contemporanea. Dalle filosofie della crisi alle culture postmediali (2023, co-authored)
• Il gusto e il suo doppio. Saggi sul kitsch (2021)
• Dopo Warhol. Il pop, il postmoderno, l'estetica diffusa (2017)

Professor Mecacci maintains an extensive international presence, with recent visiting professorships at Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Buenos Aires (2025), Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics (2024), and Universidad Internacional de Cuernavaca in Mexico (2017, 2019). His active participation in international conferences as a keynote speaker reflects his standing in the global aesthetics community, with recent presentations at the Nordic Society for Aesthetics Annual Conference in Helsinki and the Short Forms of Expression conference at the University of Warsaw.