The Future of Art: Part One

Amongst my creative peers we often discuss what we believe to be the future of art: thematic trends, developing technologies, creative mediums, art education and the art industry as a whole. I thought it would be interesting to lay out some of these discussion points and create a dialogue online. This is a huge topic for me to cover in one blog post so I will be splitting it into a few over the rest of the year. In this post I will cover ideas about the future of art exhibitions and the industry. 

 Opportunities to Exhibit Virtually  

Although there was an emergence of online art exhibitions, opportunities and virtual tours of museums and galleries before (predominantly via the Google Art Project, now Google Arts and Culture), the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the progression of virtual exhibitions. As leading institutes, museums and galleries were forced to close their physical doors, their focus turned to online platforms. Through this virtual world opportunities have emerged for a more diverse creative pool and audience. A shift was seen in the power dynamic between prestigious art institutes and bodies, and emerging tech entrepreneurs. Traditionally to make it as an artist you generally needed to be in one of the main hubs like NYC, Paris or London where there were collectors, galleries, art schools, audiences and opportunities, but now and into the future, more and more opportunities in the virtual world seem to be broadening the horizons giving visibility to artists living all over the world.

The rise of social media has also seen a power shift with advertising allowing individuals and collectives the ability to gain exposure without being affiliated with an established institute or being reliant on being headhunted or on traditional media coverage. I see the future of art allowing a more diverse range of artists to gain exposure and a wider audience having access to viewing and experiencing art without geographic restrictions.

Likewise, for those that cannot afford or access an art education in an art school, more people will be able to build upon their knowledge and techniques through gaining an art education online. Platforms and websites such as YouTube, Udemy and Skillshare already facilitate online learning to people from all over the world and I see this being the future (especially if college fees rise any further). In my blog post The Best Online Art Master Classes and Short Courses I go over some of the leading online platforms.

An Eco-friendly Art Industry

At the moment I see a shift within the painting and creative communities to become more environmentally friendly: in the way we make work, in the way we operate as creative individuals and the expectations we put upon the art industry. For example, within my practice I am developing my work with products that use less harmful chemicals. In a previous post An Eco-friendly Approach to Making Art I list some of the ways artists and art supply companies are addressing their responsibility to reduce their impact on the environment.

In the future I also see more galleries and art institutes responding to pressures from their audiences to develop alliances with sponsors that do not harm the environment. Many galleries around the world over the last decade have been put under pressure for receiving funding and sponsorship, or having representation on their board from the fossil fuel industry which has seen art professionals and audiences vito their exhibitions in protest. The Tate Galleries and National Portrait Gallery in London, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague and the Louvre in Paris, have already cut their ties with controversial sponsors.  

In the US the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art have been the focus of protests over their links to oil companies and the arms trade. This isn’t just isolated in the arts but across the whole cultural sector. The American Museum of Natural History, was put under pressure from its curators and more than 200 scientists about the presence of Rebekah Mercer on the board who also is an influential donor to groups that deny climate science.

I am an optimist and so these discussions tend to move towards a positive future for the art world. In the future I see a more diverse art industry that continues to develop in a more eco-friendly manner. I believe art can opperate as humanity's moral compass helping us to question how we function within society and how as a whole, how we treat our surrounding environment.  I really want to continue this discussion with my audience and peers so please comment below with your ideas and opinions on the topic.