An Article by J. J. (1290 words, 7 min. read)
In an ever changing world where life shifts on a daily basis, and interests change over a Tik Tok fad, we see artists persevering to continue to preserve the old-time tradition of exhibiting and seeking recognition.
The art world is based on artists working on bodies of work, seeking to exhibit them, be it in collective shows or solo exhibitions to gain attention and be recognized.
What Used to Be
In the old days this was the only secure mean to be placed on the map. Collectors and art lovers waited for such majestic occurrences to sample displayed art, to educate themselves about artistic trends and to hopefully acquire art pieces that spoke to them and stirred in them feelings of internal satisfaction: content.
What is Now
But the world has changed. While the creation of art has not changed that much (except for the flourishing of digital art attempts at bypassing artistic manual talent and relying on computerized/digitized artificial intelligence assistance), one must admit that appreciating and experiencing art by collectors and art lovers changed drastically.
This change is not brought about by the art or the art world itself. It is rather a shift in the way we live our lives nowadays.
We Live Our Lives Glued To A Screen
Research reveals that on average, people spend more than two hours a day on social media, and teenagers are way above this average. This number is growing as we speak and is probably more by the time this very article passes from writing to editing to publishing.
We have shifted our lives, willingly, and in many cases unwillingly, to gather information about the world from social media platforms, most of which are not reliable or validated in terms of their content. Think about it, anybody can post just about anything and claim it to be reliable. In fact, a good “fake” marketing campaign can relay false information about a product (or about an artist) that can shift the dynamics of how this product is perceived. And the home observer, which in these days is most people, can buy into whatever information is fed to them.
Digitizing the Art World
In the art world, feeling the presence of an artwork mostly shifted into a miniature digitized image on a screen. And most of those screens are not even large computer screens, but rather smaller screens of handheld devices.
Add to that the fact that many platforms do not even use high resolution images of their content which further deprives the observer of the intricate details of the artwork.
In essence, the whole experience has been minimized to a purely “informative experience” rather than an immersive one. One can remember that not too long ago, seeing pictures about an art exhibition in a magazine or a newspaper was merely a primitive teaser to entice the reader to physically go and check out the works live. The text and analysis around the picture further reflected the writer’s take after experiencing the exhibition themselves. Their appreciation, their impression, their praise, and in some cases their critique of the work was merely a suggestion upon which the reader would be enticed to visit the show.
This is no more. Unfortunately. Today, our life trend is to be lazy, gather whatever content we can from the net, assume it is correct, and pretend as if we have visited the content that is being delivered. We have moved into becoming a procrastinating species which gathers its information mostly from highly unreliable sources. We do not deny the existence of reliable and authentic platforms out there, but those are rare, and scarce and are diluted by the majority of utter fakeness.
The Audience of an Art Exhibition
Today, art exhibitions mostly attract fellow artists. Why? No not because of the reception and the wine or hors d’oeuvres offered, but because deep down inside fellow artists understand the struggles of the exhibitor, and are running into similar experiences, where perhaps they can appreciate new trends, or perhaps learn from the experience in front of them.
The others who visit openings and exhibitions could be acquaintances or friends who show up for social commitments and not to truly enjoy or experience the art.
This leaves a miniature percentage of visitors who truly appreciate art, long to feel it, and seek out if the works on display can “talk to them” somehow or can provoke an inner feeling in them.
In essence, the “majority” who attended exhibitions in the past have now become the “minority”.
This shift is also experienced in museums, which is why most museums in the world are shifting away from advertising their content on social media. An artist should learn from this. Artists should never advertise their work on social platforms before offering this experience to an audience live. They should never diminish their work to a digitized lifeless reflection of their powerful work.
Imagine walking into someone’s home and seeing a picture of a person on display on a wall. That picture never replaces having that person sitting with you live. Take it a step further and imagine this picture being that of a loved departed person. Now ask the homeowners if that picture replaces the physical presence of the person in the picture. The answer is obvious! Any judgement about that picture can be way off the truth when it comes to the person who is in it.
Such is art. Never to be judged on what is seen on a picture, on a social platform. By doing that, the observer misses out on the bulk of what the artwork is all about. It is time to be unplugged!
A Word About Digital Art and Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
What was discussed above may somehow imply that digital art and NFTs are lacking substantial and essential content in many ways. While that is true in general, one has to admit that the mere fact that digital art and NFTs are labeled as such, this already puts them in the context of art that is intended to be seen and observed on a screen.
This limitation, or let us call it a self-imposed limitation, allows the appreciation of digital art and NFTs to be true to itself when seen on digital screens.
The content and intent here is different than art that is painted on canvas, or sculptures molded from bronze or other media.
The art of photography is also intended to be appreciated as such, from a photograph. This is a self-imposed and publicly declared context through which one can make judgements about the work at hand simply by observing it on a screen. And while it is true that size matters here and observing a large framed artistically acclaimed photograph in a well curated space, hung on a wall, is a totally different experience than seeing it on a handheld device, we can still appreciate the majority of the experience digitally somehow.
Not in paintings, and not in sculptures, nor in installations.
Where Do We Go From Here?
It is time to admit the failure of social media at relaying a true experience of an artistic exhibition. Its only merit is simplified content. It is not in any way a replacement of one getting their act together and going to the exhibition to experience the artist’s message up close. One should physically visit an exhibition with an open mind and heart to assimilate the experience and to connect, or disconnect, with the works at hand. And if they enjoy a sip of juice, or wine, and a little munchable delicacy in the process, that would be a plus rather than a goal.
