THESE DAYS, the rate of technological progress has accelerated such that it seems like the future is coming for us faster than ever. A mere fifty years ago, no one would have predicted that the advent of the Internet would transform our lives so fundamentally. But what has this meant for art and the art world? And what does the future hold? Only by looking at the ways that things are changing now can we begin to imagine what’s still to come.
There can be no denying it: ‘the digital’ is a fundamental marker of our era. And while the World Wide Web may have been around for more than twenty-five years now, we have only just begun to see its impact on art. A new generation of artists is beginning to emerge – a generation that has grown up with the Internet and for whom living life both on- and off-line is second nature. As the digital seeps into all aspects of life, so too is it reflected in art of all media, from paintings of online encounters to sculptures 3D-printed on demand. In fact, the ideals of much early Internet art that looked to engage audiences directly in their own homes still hold true and there is plenty of untapped potential for art in the age of the smartphone → see G. And just wait until artists really get going with virtual and augmented reality!
The Internet has also impacted the way art is made available and accessible. Museums are bringing more varied content to much broader audiences by expanding their Web presence to include behind-the-scenes blogs, Instagram posts, and video interviews with artists and curators, often making these available in different languages as well. On the commercial side of things, Web sales platforms are proliferating. Although online art sales are yet to take off, the day when it becomes commonplace for art lovers to download a piece of video art from the Internet may be just around the corner.
But being constantly connected, scrolling through masses of information, clicking ‘like’, and swiping left and right while sitting on your sofa can leave you feeling lacking. It can ignite a desire to move in the opposite direction, towards the intimacy of life offline. And the art world has responded to this too, as is reflected in a renewed emphasis on festivals and events as opportunities to visit museums and engage with others. Performance → see S is also being incorporated into the daily activity of museums, adding a more human aspect to the visitor experience and getting people to interact with one another. As with installation art, performance is something that can only be experienced in person – that can only be related to physically. It’s these kinds of works that are being given more prominence.
What we see today is the restructuring of the Hows, Wheres and Whos that shaped the art world until now.
All this is part of a broader trend towards more personalized content across the art world. Museums now tailor their approach according to specific audiences → see K. While flashy auction sales are still important, private sales, where auction houses approach key collectors directly and sales are brokered behind closed doors, are on the rise. Alternative models of art fairs are also starting to chip away at the dominance of the market by a handful of mega-fairs. Often these events are much smaller and by invitation only, with just a select group of collectors in attendance. A number of galleries are even experimenting with gallery swaps, where they switch spaces with a gallery in another country for a short time to enable them to approach collectors in other parts of the world.
In a sense, what we see today is the restructuring of the Hows, Wheres and Whos that shaped the art world until now. But one thing’s for sure: as the Internet continues to be integrated into our daily lives, we are only beginning to understand how our faculties of perception and modes of processing information are changing. The ways we see and interpret art are transforming rapidly, perhaps more quickly than ever before, and to a degree we can’t yet know. Welcome to the future – it’s time for your upgrade.
THERE’S NO WAY AROUND IT, art costs money. And whether you’re making, buying, displaying or supporting art, funding is crucial for keeping the art world afloat.
For many artists, sales may not bring in enough to cover fabrication, art materials, studio rent and travel, let alone the cost of living. In such cases, artists may seek funding from not-for-profit organizations, both public and private, most often in the form of prizes (money), grants and fellowships (money for a specific project) and residencies (less money, but rent-free accommodation in a nice place to make art). These opportunities vary significantly from country to country and foundation to foundation. Although they tend to be available by open application, candidates usually have to meet certain eligibility criteria, and submit a detailed proposal and budget. However, the most respected fellowships, such as the five-year MacArthur grant, are usually only by nomination. The enormous prestige associated with these awards is often matched by the cash payout, which can reach six figures.
Let’s not forget, museums need money too. From insurance, shipping and building new walls, to conservation and public programmes, the costs can be vast and ticket sales simply don’t cover everything. This means that even the biggest museums are constantly fundraising through channels as various as corporate partnerships, patrons’ circles and memberships. Museums rely heavily on their development teams to identify the right sponsors and apply for philanthropic grants all year round to raise funds for wish-list exhibitions and projects.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch! Support inevitably comes with strings attached and even government funding has its restrictions. Nonetheless, whatever shape or form it comes in, what really makes these sources of funding so important is that they represent a faith in the value of creativity and enable artists to continue to make work that has the power to inspire. Fund fresh arts, not old farts!