You give a very good summary of historical experiment. But the conclusion isn't necessarily true. In 2012 Siguwara's lab created first protocell with synthetic DNA that replicated based on signals provided by them. However, the limitation was that it only did that for one generation. Following this I'm 2015 the same group published in nat comm, in which, they upgraded their method by which they can supply new materials to the proto-cell by fusing it with material carrying lipid particles. After getting new materials from these delivery vesicles they were able to replicate the proto-cell for upto 3 generations. See this figure here.

Now this is a minimalistic system, because they had to provide the replication enzyme (sybr green you see in the figure) externally. Now they slowly need to add one component at a time to make these particles capable of not only replicating themselves but rather being capable of making molecules and enzymes within themselves as well.

On the other hand attempt at creating artificial life also includes reverse engineering. Where people take already living cell and then find the minimal components required by it to thrive. Like in 2016 they published some 400-500 minimal genes that were required to keep the bacteria alive. That is they took genome from one organism cut it down to minimum and inserted it into another genome deprived organism and kept it live and kicking.

I think the progress is going at good pace here from both directions.