Dualità e fluidità nell’esistenza e in arte: How to be both di Ali Smith

Abstract

In her novel How to Be Both, Ali Smith explores the interplay between identity, perception, and time, challenging the boundaries of narrative structure and form. This article examines how Smith's fluid, multi-layered storytelling mirrors the principles of fluidity in visual arts, where boundaries are often dissolved, and interpretation is open to personal perspective. Drawing connections between the novel’s themes and the evolving nature of visual art, the article argues that both Smith's text and contemporary art practices emphasize fluidity—whether in identity, gender, or artistic expression—as a means of embracing multiplicity and ambiguity. By analyzing Smith’s dual narrative structure and its visual counterparts in art, the article explores how both media invite the viewer or reader to experience a dynamic, shifting reality where meaning is constructed through interaction rather than fixed interpretation. Through this lens, the novel becomes a site of visual and textual experimentation, offering a rich commentary on the fluid, ever-changing nature of selfhood and art.