Why Sustainability Is Becoming a Moral Responsibility for Galleries?

Historically, galleries have judged works they accept based on personal taste and cultural value. But as modern problems arise, modern solutions must also be considered: the question of environmental impact is one. Galleries around the world now have to factor in the added equation of considering the sustainability angle in their approach. It’s the logical “next evolution” of what it means to be a responsible gallery.

Our environmental footprints as galleries, as artists, as collectors, sneak in, in ways we don’t even notice. International shipping for fairs and exhibitions creates a large carbon footprint. Climate-controlled storage is something most galleries don’t even think about from an ecological perspective. There’s the matter of the material used in art itself, be it resin or plastic. It all starts to pile up.

But expectations are changing now. Collectors and artists are looking into ethically sourcing their production and choosing methods that align with their values. Artists are making more works with natural or recycled materials. There are hybrid or even totally digital competitions, like the ones hosted at TERAVARNA.

No one expects galleries to be perfect. But it’s a matter of making a conscious choice to work with eco-friendly vendors, to reuse exhibition materials when possible.

As our world comes to face an ever-exponentially rising climate crisis, we have to ask ourselves: can the art world afford to ignore its environmental footprint?