The Rise of the “Experience Economy” in Art Galleries

With the modern rise of the “experience economy” seeping into every facet of our lives, it’s only logical that we can see the rise of it in art galleries as well. With the push for experiences to go along with services for clients, art galleries have also been adapting to meet these new needs. It can be argued that a more immersive experience leads to a heightened experience of the artwork.

But not all of it without criticism. The Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition in LA was heavily criticized by many art enthusiasts. This immersive exhibit used projectors to project images of Van Gogh’s work across the walls, leading to something that many called cheap or gimmicky. It gets even worse when we look at the video that arose on social media recently that depicted an art gallery using an AI-generated video of one of Turner’s paintings to create a so-called immersive experience.

The push for more experience-based artwork also comes from the rise of AI art. When artwork can be easily reproduced, especially through digital mediums, artists turn to more traditional, grittier mediums that are harder to reproduce through artificial means. Collage, sculpture, and performance art are on the rise. This also leads to artwork that is more tactile and encourages viewers to interact with it.

At the San Francisco Art Fair that we recently had the pleasure of attending, there was one particularly memorable booth called “The Red Chador.” It used hijab as a means of unpacking third-wave intersectional feminism, orientalism, and post 9/11 anxieties in America, as well as a class-conscious approach to fashion. It’s a perfect example of the experience economy shaping art: in this booth, visitors were welcomed to try on one of the many chadors, or full-body coverings that the artist had created, and model with them. These weren’t just regular burqas; they were fashionable and chic, ranging from fabrics like flannel patchworked together to shaggy fur coats to puffer-jacket material. The act of engaging with the artist’s pieces so directly made the viewer an active participant and created a memorable experience that made it so that the visitor could walk away with a lasting impression of the artwork.

This is what the experience economy is all about in the art world. Making your mark in a world where things are constantly shifting, where one morning’s headline is a footnote by the end of the day. In a world where it’s so easy to get drowned out by the clamoring voices vying for attention, it’s up to both artists and galleries to utilize the experience economy to the best of their abilities.