Tune in to the unknown
A note on a way forward for art with the loss of consensus reality
Political art within fragmented realities
Criticism of politically motivated art often centers on shifting cultural values — the “end of woke,” the MAGA-fication of Dimes Square, and the broader rightward tilt — but something deeper is at play.
A recent video on X argued that technology will reach a point soon where not only will AI-videos be indistinguishable from non-AI content, but fact-checking or debunking them will essentially become impossible. We will be left with what can be described as “reality silos,” unverifiable media bubbles that are smaller and more tailored to individual people.
Whether or not Dean Kissick is right that political art is preachy and uninspiring, making art about politics depends on a presumption of consensus reality that is becoming increasingly unrealistic.
The appeal of political art is narrowing just as the audiences within shared reality silos are shrinking. Soon, it may start to feel like screaming into the void.
If that’s your thing, great. Keep at it. But, as the illusion of a common frame of reference fades, the future of art will depend in large part on artists finding new relationships to their own creativity and creative inspiration. Rather than looking out and responding to social ills with critique and futurecasting, some of the most interesting artists working today are starting to look in.
