Artists and Instagram: creative geniuses or slaves to the algorithm?

Claudio Parmiggiani: Senza titolo, 2014, campana di bronzo e corda. Courtesy Galleria Poggiali, Firenze.

In the past, in order to be recognised as an artist, it was necessary to exhibit in a prestigious gallery, to be included in a museum’s collection or, at least, to have an art critic write enthusiastically and in complicated words about the works and their meaning. Today, on the other hand, all it takes is a well-curated Instagram profile, a few viral reels and a catchy hashtag to win thousands of followers.

It seems that art has found its new digital temple, or perhaps we are reducing creativity to an eternal search for likes. In short, does an artist who isn’t on Instagram really exist?

ARTISTS AND INSTAGRAM

Embodying: Flesh, Fiber, Features. Brie Ruais, Martha Tuttle, Letha Wilson, a cura di Serena Trizzino. Veduta della mostra presso Galleria Anna Marra, set – ott 2019. Foto di Simon d’Exéa

Artists or content creators? The risk of disposable art

Instagram has revolutionised the way artists show their work.
It seems to be the social media most used by artists because it has the characteristics of a free and accessible gallery, with a global showcase that can transform an unknown person into a viral phenomenon overnight.
Emerging artists who would once have had to fight for an exhibition in an independent space can now reach thousands of people with a simple post.

Yet, there is a dark side.
The danger is that artists become more ‘content creators’ than artists. The feed imposes a frenetic pace, the public wants captivating images, and the algorithm rewards those who publish consistently.

The result? Works designed to be ‘instagrammable’ rather than works capable of leaving a deep mark on today’s society.

Thus art risks becoming ephemeral, optimised for a distracted audience that scrolls quickly between a meme and a photo of an exotic landscape. For this reason it is important to know how to use social media if you are an artist. To avoid mistakes and wasting time unnecessarily.

Is the algorithm the new art critic?

Once upon a time, an artist’s success depended on the opinion of critics, collectors and gallery owners. Today, the real curator of our artistic lives is called the algorithm.

The mechanism is simple: the more likes, comments and shares a post receives, the more it is shown to other people. This creates a vicious circle in which those who already have visibility become even more visible, while those who fail to capture attention in the first few minutes end up in digital oblivion.

However, the problem runs even deeper.
In order to get noticed, many artists feel obliged to create works that ‘work’ on Instagram, sacrificing research, experimentation and conceptual depth in favour of simple, immediate and viral images.
The risk? That art becomes a packaged product for rapid consumption, devoid of the sense of mystery and reflection that has always made it so powerful.

Museums and galleries: surviving the social media era

If Instagram is an ambiguous resource for artists, for museums and galleries the challenge is even more complex.
On the one hand, social media are extraordinary tools for bringing the public closer and making art more accessible. Just think, for example, of the museums that communicate well with social media, and what they have achieved in recent years. On the other hand, there is the risk of transforming museums into perfect backdrops for selfies, sacrificing the content and quality of exhibitions in favour of digital engagement.

How many times have we seen visitors more interested in taking the ‘perfect photo’ in front of a work of art rather than really observing it? How many museums are investing more in interactive installations and Instagram filters than in innovative exhibition projects?

The challenge is clear: harness the potential of social media without losing sight of the main mission of culture.
It is therefore essential, for example, to know how to engage the audience of an art gallery on social media, to consciously dominate the process of promoting an artist from the beginning, but also to understand if the gallery an artist relies on is capable of offering all-round support.

Is a future for art without social media possible?

Some artists have chosen to say ‘no’ to Instagram.
They prefer to work in a more traditional way, building their audience through galleries, art fairs and word of mouth. And incredibly… they’re succeeding.

This shows that there are still alternatives to the social-centric system.
Independent exhibition spaces, temporary exhibitions, live performances and autonomous digital platforms are offering artists new ways to connect with the public without having to submit to the logic of algorithms.

The question is: are we still capable of appreciating art without a screen between us and the work?

Opere di Canova e Pino Pascali presso la Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Roma

Instagram is not the enemy, but a powerful tool and like any tool it should be used intelligently.
The real problem arises when it becomes the only yardstick for evaluating an artist’s success.

Perhaps this is the biggest challenge for contemporary art.
Finding a balance between digital visibility and the depth of the message. Using social media without becoming a slave to it, creating content without sacrificing research, being present online without forgetting that art, true art, needs time to be understood and loved.

And you, what do you think? Can art exist outside of Instagram? Or are we destined to measure creativity by the number of likes it gets?