Critique of Contemporary Art Criticism's Moral Authority and Market Entanglements

An opinion piece critiques the current state of art criticism, arguing it has become a moralistic tool detached from substantive political engagement. The text contrasts the privatization of Mexico's cultural infrastructure—highlighted by a strike at the Secretaría de Cultura where 2,000 workers earn below minimum wage—with the insulated bubble of contemporary art in Mexico City. This art world, described as transactional and market-driven, parallels San Francisco's tech elite bubble, complete with luxury amenities and social disconnection. Critics are accused of using buzzwords like "decolonize" emptily while ignoring local crises like gender violence and disappearances in Mexico. The article references administrative irregularities at INBAL under a former culture secretary and critiques the focus on international events like the Venice Biennale over domestic issues. It cites theorists like Adorno, Glissant, Malabou, Adrienne Maree Brown, Saidiya Hartman, Federico Morais, and Octavia Butler as often superficially deployed. The piece concludes that criticism now serves as an accessory to market forces, lacking moral clarity amid rising authoritarianism and digital neurototalitarianism.