Emerging out of this global crisis is a new age for the consumption of Art culture. Covid-19 has hit the art industry hard both in sales and exhibitions however there is light at the end of the tunnel as we are witnessing an industry-changing, slowly becoming more accessible through new ways of exhibiting.

The 2020s will be an era of massive change with a larger focus on social issues concerning every sector. I strongly believe that coming out of the crisis will transform the art industry for the better. Already galleries have been hard at work to bring out virtual viewing rooms to make their exhibitions more accessible during the quarantine period. If presented correctly there will be ample opportunity for commercial galleries to tap into new audiences other than high rollers and collectors.

With a new focus on Remote viewing, the question should be asked, how will galleries translate the feeling of experiencing art in the flesh? Or does that matter? With virtual viewing rooms becoming more popular, galleries are going to have a hard time differentiating what can be seen for free on the internet vs within their show.

This new level of access to exhibitions will bring out a new breed of casual viewers who will look to art as a source of distraction and escapism in response to the chaos of the crisis. As art becomes more casual, galleries will become more like community centres unless they put a greater emphasis on radical curatorial practice. No longer will the attending of an exhibition be exclusively about seeing the works of a particular artist or a group of artists but rather to see how the gallery curated the exhibition.

We may have already seen the rise of the curator in recent years, but now the curator’s importance will overtake the name of the artist, for a gallery to maintain their pre-COVID-19 success. Now is the time to focus your efforts on becoming a curator, as this new landscape emerges. The curator will not only have the opportunity to be more radical with artists’ work but will also be representing a global audience with multiple perspectives, therefore a curator’s interpretation of the space will have the utmost importance. They will have to manipulate the space for traditional in-person viewing respecting social distancing while also try to differentiate from the virtual counterpart.

We are entering an interesting time, where the lines between reality and simulation are actively being blurred. Only time will tell, the effect this will have on Art culture.

Just some food for thought. I would love to hear your perspectives and thoughts on this