“If your criticisms towards the state of contemporary visual art hinge upon it being an inferior experience via digital mediation, or because it feels like an overly challenging, academic, or self-obsessed club, consider the possibility that these are its best qualities.” Such a great take! I’m so glad I found this Substack! I’ve been thinking lately about the value of seeing work in person — it’s interesting that visual art is one of the only forms of media left where the in-person experience is still prioritized. I hope this practice picks up more steam as online-only spaces become overrun with ads and AI-generated content. (I argue visual art might go in a more real-world direction in a recent newsletter post. Hope it’s not just wishful thinking!)
“If your criticisms towards the state of contemporary visual art hinge upon it being an inferior experience via digital mediation, or because it feels like an overly challenging, academic, or self-obsessed club, consider the possibility that these are its best qualities.” Such a great take! I’m so glad I found this Substack! I’ve been thinking lately about the value of seeing work in person — it’s interesting that visual art is one of the only forms of media left where the in-person experience is still prioritized. I hope this practice picks up more steam as online-only spaces become overrun with ads and AI-generated content. (I argue visual art might go in a more real-world direction in a recent newsletter post. Hope it’s not just wishful thinking!)
thank you! I believe that visual art's prioritization of in-person (even if entirely unstrategic and unintentional) will pay dividends.