Pop the bubble

Maximilian Völter

The art in neoliberalism is characterized by a paradoxical development that intertwines appreciation and depreciation, scarcity and inflation, isolation and collectivization. Simultaneously, control between art and society continues to increase, often with the "frame" of art being imposed on an event faster than it can even recognize its own artistic nature, let alone the audience arriving at that conclusion. In certain social and performative spaces, everything that can't escape the gaze quickly enough is even declared as art. This leads to a double dissolution of art, once through money and once through a "lifestyle," preventing art from actually "meaning" anything. Despite a seemingly permissive society, the scope of art appears to be narrowing. The success of art and commercialization seems like a bubble on the verge of bursting, which will result not only in economic and political but also moral and cultural catastrophes. The connection of art to the realms of political economy responsible for recent crises, such as banking, economic oligarchies, and real estate, acts as a catalyst for this problem. In some major cities, art and luxury apartments are already inseparable and offered as a ready-made package for the right price, further alienating art from society, its actual place of impact. It appears that the art world is losing the ability to organize and address these developments, as even minimally socially oriented initiatives like artist social insurance are a thorn in the side of the neoliberal agenda. Although artists in our society have more freedom than ever before, they present themselves as a "profession" in a rather sad light. Art is increasingly viewed as a commodity, leading to inflated prices and a loss of its original creative intent. The art market fosters competitive pressure that can compromise the quality and originality of art. What is the value of art produced on demand? How is the value of art determined when there is no discourse, and the narrative is already written in advance, so everyone knows what they are supposed to like? Furthermore, speculation in the art world often obscures the underlying financial interests and transactions. Overall, these developments pose a significant threat to the original cultural meaning and authenticity of art.It is, therefore, more than necessary to vigorously combat these tendencies to preserve the integrity and cultural value of art and bring it back to the center of the social discourse.