The Perfect Illusion and the Recollection of Non-Events / L’illusione perfetta e il ricordo del mai accaduto

The article explores the concept of “fakeness” in visual representation, tracing a path from ancient pictorial illusions to AI-generated deepfakes. Through a reflection on falsehood as a structural element of collective perception, it examines how visual deception has shifted in function—from artistic wonder to a sophisticated tool of disinformation and manipulation. The use of AI in image production not only alters our perception of reality but actively contributes to constructing a synthetic and unstable collective memory, where there is a risk of remembering events that never occurred. Within this context, the article investigates the potential of drawing as a critical and intentional act—one that resists the immediacy of artificial images and restores a necessary distance between reality and representation. The conclusion does not call for a nostalgic defense of truth, nor a wholesale rejection of illusion, but rather for its recognition and understanding. It reaffirms the value of drawing as a space for reflection, responsibility, and resistance, where truth and falsehood are no longer fixed categories, but tools for awareness and critical thought.