7. The Illusory Democratization of Art
Marco Almaviva, LS Archetipo 1, 2018. Oil colour and literal texture, 53 x 83 cm
When asked about today’s art world, Almaviva is critical. While he recognizes that progress has been made since the 1970s, he warns against an illusory democratization of art. In his opinion, there has been a democratization of the personal intentions of those who want to make art: everyone can do it. Yet, what is recognized as art is still decided and defined by the institutions. The distance between those who “have made it” and those on the fringes has therefore widened. While this analysis can appear full of pessimism, Almaviva remains caparbio and warns to not let others decide whether your art is worthy as it could end up being a long and sometimes fruitless wait. This is to say, borrowing the words of another artist, David Bowie, “Never play for the audience.”