Undemocratic Art World – What Does It Mean?

Museum visits with the school, who does not know that. I’ll be honest, I never really felt like it, but it always depended on the museum. I always liked to look at paintings, as well as historical exhibitions.

But there were always people with me who spoiled my desire to visit museums. At some point I stopped going…I’m not alone in that. In times of Netflix and Amazon Prime, very few people still go to a museum. Is it because the art world is too undemocratic?

How democratic is the modern art world? There seems to be a bit of a debate about that in cultural circles right now. The art world should “finally become more democratic” (Commentary, Christian Kaspar Schwarm, published on November 6, 2019, https://www.zeit.de/2019/46/kunstmarkt-museen-publikum-zugaenglichkeit ), everyone agrees on that. What is being argued about is the question of how this should happen.

The article just mentioned (See quote) is a response to an article, by two gentlemen, who describe the art market as extremely limited. According to them, it is becoming more and more dependent on “very few collectors, dealers […]” (Commentary, Christian Kaspar Schwarm, published Nov. 6, 2019, https://www.zeit.de/2019/46/kunstmarkt-museen-publikum-zugaenglichkeit ). They are not that wrong, because in fact the art market, not only in Germany, is in a negative concentration movement, a concentration of power. Instead of giving the point too much attention, one should keep an eye on what the respective opponents conclude as consequences.

Resch and Heidenreich (These are the two nice gentlemen I mentioned earlier) suggest that the potential public should have the sole power to decide what is exhibited in a museum.

But Wait a minute, isn’t that even the case already? YES, in many places it is, that
Christian Kaspar Schwarm also replies. Nowadays, in times
times, when the number of visitors decreases more than anything else, no museum can
no museum can afford not to take this into account. The visitors may not have
visitors do not have the sole power of decision, but they are actively involved.
involved. At least they try…So how undemocratic is the art world really today?
art world really today?

The answer: not at all! Modern artists are making an incredible effort, whether through their own websites or social media, to involve society, to let them participate. We just don’t see it, or don’t want to see it!

Instead of taking the time to stroll through an art gallery on our days off, we prefer to lie on the couch all day and watch one Netflix series after another.

Let’s give the modern art world the attention it deserves!

For all of you who now feel like visiting a museum or an exhibition again:

Leipzig, Germany:

Museum für Druckkunst – 100 Saxon Prints – “Trial of Strength”.

Museum of Fine Arts – Tim Eitel. Open walls

Dresden, Germany:

Sächsische Galerie, – A.R.Penk “Overpaintings 1979 – reconstruction of an exhibition.

Saxon Gallery – The end of unambiguity. Painters from the GDR

Chemnitz Germany:

Museum Gunzenhauser – Now! Young painting in Germany

Schlossbergmuseum – Wendezeit