Crisis as Opportunity: Rethinking Art Consumption Models

Christian Caliandro argues that the COVID-19 crisis forces a reevaluation of the art world's consumption model, which prioritizes speed, spectacle, and quantitative metrics. He critiques the current system of fairs, biennials, and blockbuster exhibitions that compress time and encourage superficial engagement. Caliandro suggests that the pandemic offers a chance to explore alternative modes of art experience, such as digital platforms (net.art, post-internet practices) and intimate, domestic, or community-based encounters. He notes that similar questions were raised in the 1960s and 1970s through happenings, performance, body art, land art, and conceptual art, but those were later absorbed by the market. The article, published on Artribune, reflects on how the crisis might lead to a more sustainable and meaningful relationship with art.