(New) Ways of Seeing

Firstly, let’s dive into this new world, where the true measure of an artist’s worth lies in the floor price of their digital creations. These new ways of curating defy conventional practices, offering a glimpse into a universe where the price becomes the arbiter of artistic selection.

Within this framework, artists are chosen based on their market success, rendering artistic merit a mere backdrop to the allure of financial triumph. In fact, forget about artistic merit, creativity, or thought-provoking concepts. It’s all about the market success, baby! In his review of the latest Picasso exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum for the New York Times, Jason Faraga astutely observes that where the curatorial ambitions are “at the GIF level”, we grant audience the “moral permission to turn their backs on what challenged them, and to ennoble a preference for comfort and kitsch.” Similarly, for group exhibitions, the best practice is to check the floor prices and invite those best-selling artists to showcase their digital masterpieces. Who needs artistry when you have dollar signs? A good therefore theme (excuse) is a charity drop. As Gabrielle Schwarz wrote in her “Bake Sale” piece for Outland, this is yet not new to the traditional art world at all, as the ,philanthropic endeavours are used to make the excesses of money and power that flow through the industry more palatable.”

Next up, we have the revolutionary concept of curating based on medium. Imagine, if you may, an exhibition curated solely around the medium itself—a thematic tapestry woven from the threads of code-based art, generative art, digital art, and the captivating realm of AI art. Picturing the Tate Britain boldly proclaiming an exhibition entitled “Oil Paintings” or The Photographers Gallery in London venturing into uncharted territory with their presentation of “Digital Photography” that elicits both intrigue and introspection. It is as if we witness a transformation, where the very essence of the medium becomes its own gravitational force, commanding attention and validating its artistic significance. And to ensure that no doubt remains, the exhibition title must dutifully bear the imprints of the words “DIGITAL” or “CODE” in a proclamation of its modernity.

In this tapestry of novel curatorial approaches, another thread intertwines—one guided by the discourse surrounding the groundbreaking idea of curating based on gender. No longer confined to the limits of thematic exploration or cultural dialogue, curators venture forth, their invitations extending solely to female artists. An “all-female show” takes shape, its theme shrouded in mystery, as if the very act of identifying oneself as a woman and engaging with the realm of technology becomes the hallmark of artistic distinction. Who needs to think about themes or engage in mentioned cultural dialogue when you can simply send invites to female artists and throw together an “all-female show”? The theme? Oh, that’s irrelevant, it’s TBC. As long as you identify as a woman and have dabbled with a computer, you’re in! Because gender is the ultimate determiner of artistic expression, right? One important digression from this chi-chi trend: there are exceptions. Some all-female shows may dare to discuss important issues like abortion or the female body. In those cases, the invitation is in fact related to the theme and not just a matter of checking birth certificates/ pronouns. In these instances, the selection is thoughtfully aligned with the underlying concept, candidly transcending mere formalities of gender verification.