State of the Art 2020 : The 3 Biggest Problems in Art This Year
As galleries and museums around the world are beginning to tentatively reopen, what was initially envisioned as a simple return to normal is now another chapter in the ever-developing story of COVID-19. The public health signs and scattered antibacterial hand wash stations are the most tactile and ubiquitous elements of change; on a deeper level however, entirely new offerings such as virtual tours, online education programmes and public art projects have become a mainstay in the new museum experience.
These speedy and effective modifications discredit the common stance that the art world is stuck in its ways, and indicate that meaningful, systematic change is a real possibility. Now that new methods of operation have been established, the question of ‘what else?’ must be asked - ergo the return isn’t to normal but rather, a return to a new and improved norm. These are the issues in art for the coming year.
1. Gatekeepers
An issue metronomically raised by the new generation of visually fluent observers against the art world elite concerns gatekeepers. Leading galleries, museums, fairs, and to a lesser extent, publishers hold a firm grasp on the art world, and continue to act as arbiters of taste in their respective domains. Art should dismantle consensus rather than collude towards it; unfortunately, there are a small number of influencers shaping the opinions of the many, and as such, deciding what is good, or bad, for the masses.
Within public institutions, and in the eyes of collectors who are advised by these industry professionals, a small number of artists have floated to and remain entrenched at the top of the system due to the cultural kudos laid upon them. This is the same issue dominating global economic systems: the accumulation of wealth. Resulting in a number of issues for artists and outsiders alike. When a small number of gatekeepers dominate the choices and trends within an industry, a narrow and at times myopic preference can be formed.
In 2018, artnet News published a report examining the lack of change in art world preferences, specifically female-artist representation. The significant findings showed that between 2008 and 2018, 11% of artworks acquired by institutions were made by female artists, and only 14% of all exhibitions included female artists. Statistics like these are not outliers either, showing that outsiders of many demographics are constantly left out of mainstay exhibitions and collections. Under the atmosphere of art, which entails a radical and progressive history, it is chilling to witness a significant portion of the population failing to be acknowledged, year after year.
So, what is being done? Online marketplaces such as Saatchi Art and Artsy, who provide un-curated platforms for artists to sell their own art are becoming more popular. Fairs dedicated to emerging artists and galleries, such as The Other Art Fair and Frame and Focus, are providing forums to artworld newcomers. Curators and other industry-professional positions continue to be roles with extremely low turnover, however. This means that unless options such as fixed-term contracts for high-ranking art positions are established, the decision makers of today will continue to be the decision makers of tomorrow.
2. Stolen Art
The second biggest issue, which pertains only to long-standing and significant cultural institutions, is that of restitution and repatriation. In short, the argument is for return of artworks, artefacts and culturally significant items away from the hands of countries which unethically gained their ownership (thanks, colonialism).
In 2017, the French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron pledged the return of African cultural artefacts and commissioned the ground-breaking Sarr-Savoy report. It incited a global conversation, paralleled with a tangible and focused framework regarding the return of looted goods. Unfortunately, to the dismay of the ever-strengthening global movement for art restitution, a significant amount of work still needs to be done to turn this dream into a reality.
Take the Museum of Central Africa in Belgium, for example, who at the time of writing, remain the owners of a whopping 180,000 pieces of Sub-Saharan African heritage. The British Museum, London, and the Musée du Quai, Paris, possess 70,000 African artefacts each, a stark number when recent estimates of African museum inventories rarely surpass 3000 artefacts. Even objects such as the Elgin Marbles, which have been housed in the British Museum circa 1803 and generate regular requests for restitution, have a dismal hope for return despite being from another European country.
This issue has become a black mark on the art world - a cultural system intended to challenge beliefs and promote moral creed. Promisingly, the issue of repatriation has nestled itself into the zeitgeist with help from films such as George Clooney’s The Monuments Men and a mounting net of publications from academics and journalists alike; now it is time for the industry to carry out the changes being asked by of it.
3. Art Class
Lastly, the art world is dealing with the issue of class, its elephant in the room. In 2018 Laura Robertson and Mike Pinnington published a strand of articles entitled Class IS A Big Deal. They were one of the first significant reports to examine the barriers middle and lower socio-economic groups faced when trying to access careers in the arts. Their findings showed a mere 18.2% of the arts industry came from a lower or middle-class upbringing and led to a confirmation of the anecdotal idea that the arts are for the privileged.
From a glance, the arts have in recent times become more democratized. There are a widely available and digitally housed number of resources being made available to artists and professionals in the form of funds, grants and emerging programs. Unfortunately, however, insecure working positions and unpaid labour continue to widely dominate the arts industry, which ultimately favours those with financial backing.
From a consumer’s perspective, a slow move toward democratisation is evident. Contemporary art now holds two purposes. In some ways, it remains a commodity for the rich; on the other, through public displays, accessible videos and spectacular installations, it has become more approachable pastime and viewed as a public good. As the world continues to witness a rise in visitation numbers at fairs, exhibitions and galleries, the idea that places art as a common property is becoming more popular, turning the pursuit into one capable of communicating ideas in exciting ways across generations, cultures and socioeconomic groups.
Art is, at the end of the day, a good for the people. The citizens of the world fund museums through tax, and those fortunate enough to afford private collections fund working artists. Therefore, the market should change to meet demands of the consumers. It is merely up to the people to voice their opinions, and the field to slowly catch up.
Emerson Radisich is a curator, writer and educator from Aotearoa (New Zealand). He is currently completing an MA at the University of Melbourne and is the Assistant Curator at Backwoods Gallery.