Artpress editorial questions globalization's impact on originality and identity in art

In an editorial for Artpress, Richard Leydier explores the tension between origins and originality in the globalized art world. He traces globalization from Marco Polo's travels to colonial conquests and modern cultural exchanges, noting that biennials now obsess over 'otherness.' The 54th Venice Biennale sent artists a questionnaire asking: 'Is the art world a nation? How many nations are inside you? Where do you feel at home? What language will the future speak? If art were a state, what should its constitution proclaim?' Artpress posed similar questions to six figures known for their interest in globalization. Their responses converge: while tools of globalization facilitate exchange, its consequences are largely perverse. Victoria Noorthoorn notes the homogenization of artists' statements. Leydier questions whether originality remains a shared value or if artists are valued more for their origins—an Indian artist for being Indian, creators from the Arab world, China, or Africa for their provenance. He asks whether globalization truly fosters the emergence of the individual artist. A postscript reports that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei remains arbitrarily imprisoned, and Turkish artist Bedri Baykam was stabbed in mid-April for opposing the demolition of a sculpture promoting Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. The international art world is informed but wonders what help it can offer.