How Artists and Critics Use Instagram as an Artistic Medium

Instagram has transformed the art world by enabling direct artist-collector interactions, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. Artists like Cindy Sherman use the platform for self-portraits with Facetune, while Hans Ulrich Obrist's Handwriting Project collects handwritten notes from creatives since 2012. Maurizio Cattelan posts single daily images that vanish after 24 hours. Ryan Trecartin creates frenetic video stories, and Matthew Barney's account documents alchemical processes. Philippe Parreno's minimalist profile posted white monochromes on October 10, 2016, the day after Frieze London closed. The Rick and Morty Rickstaverse account creates a nested-image labyrinth. These approaches echo 1990s net art, turning profiles into artworks.