Art World Reacts to Trump's Election: Shock and Uncertainty

The election of Donald Trump as U.S. president has sent shockwaves through the American art world, with cultural professionals expressing disbelief, fear, and a resolve to become more activist. Gian Maria Tosatti, an Italian artist living in the U.S., states he never applied for an immigration visa because America voted for Trump and G.W. Bush twice; he considers himself a guest. Federico Solmi notes that no one in New York and Los Angeles believed Trump could win, and that the country is deeply divided. Vincenzo de Bellis, at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, describes the atmosphere as funereal; four of seven colleagues did not come to work. He fears Trump's protectionist policies could harm foreign artists and curators, making the U.S. no longer a place of freedom and opportunity. Chiara Bernasconi, in New York, says the art world lives in a bubble and never expected this outcome; she recalls Trump's past criticism of Chris Ofili's work as "degenerate" and his desire to defund the NEA. Silvia Filippini Fantoni points out that while museums do not rely on state funding, their endowments are invested in the stock market, which could suffer under Trump. Alessandro Facente links Trump's victory to the anti-politics trend in the West but believes the U.S.'s individualistic foundation can sustain critical culture. The comments were collected by Artribune in collaboration with Neve Mazzoleni.