Jill Gasparina on appropriation and the future of art

In a 2012 essay for artpress, critic Jill Gasparina examines the dominance of appropriation in contemporary art, drawing parallels to Simon Reynolds' concept of "retromania" in music. She argues that recycling cultural artifacts has become a self-sustaining logic, with artists producing works justified solely by cultural references. Gasparina cites Nicolas Bourriaud's notion of "postproduction" and Seth Price's enthusiasm for digital redistribution, but also notes critics like Melanie Gilligan who link appropriation to financial derivatives, and Arnauld Pierre who sees a loss of historicity. She outlines three possible futures: collapse (where economic pressures stifle innovation, leading to endless recycling), the age of access (where digitization and 3D printing democratize culture), or a mix of both. The essay references works by Claude Rutault and the exhibition "L'Exposition continue" at Circuit, Lausanne.