BEST ART 2020
To The Artists on the Street, In Lockdown or Viewed Virtually
2020 has been a year none of us will ever forget, especially those involved in the art world. The coronavirus pandemic caused many art professionals to lose their jobs, as many employees were laid off when institutions were forced to close for long periods. The pandemic also prevented several annual fairs that artists counted on from taking place. Still, it also opened the door to exploring all the possibilities for experiencing art without physical presence. Aside from that, significant events this year encouraged creations and exhibitions that will go down in history. As we venture into the new year with a hopeful mindset, we should try not to dismiss the year we leave behind as waste. It may be one of the most important ones we will ever live through (if not the most.)
VIRTUAL SHOWROOMS AND GALLERIES
In general, art and culture are essential for a functioning society, and that wasn’t going to disappear just because people weren’t able to leave their homes. Museums and galleries are getting consistently better at providing virtual experiences, with online galleries, video tours, and high-resolution images more prominent on their websites. These online experiences include 3D virtual galleries. One can “walk through,” viewing rooms with detailed descriptions adjacent to exhibited works or virtual events viewers attend via Zoom or other similar platforms. Moreover, the current situation makes people eager to participate in physical exhibits. The public is more aware of how essential these activities are, and the shows have been awe-inspiring. Critical and impactful exhibitions this year include ‘Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration’ at MoMA PS1, the historical exhibition ‘Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945’ at the Whitney Museum of American Art, The ‘Artemisia’ exhibition at the National Gallery in London, Jacob Lawrence’s ‘The American Struggle’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Noah Davis at David Zwirner, the Donald Judd retrospective at MoMA, and Jordan Casteel’s ‘Within Reach’ at the New Museum.
The quality and success of online exhibitions like White Cube’s Rear Window, the Getty’s Michelangelo exhibit, or Nomas Foundation’s Is This a Painting? (all have been featured on PROVOKR) has also proven that it is possible to enjoy art from home.
IMPORTANT EVENTS IMMORTALIZED IN ART
As we know, the pandemic is not the only reason that made this year unique. Black Lives Matter protests broke out in the US and worldwide. Although there is still a lot of work ahead, they marked a critical moment in history. The movement has been one of the most significant art events this year, with murals and public art especially playing an important role.
It is he first time a political movement has taken first place in the British magazine ArtReview’s Power 100, which ranks the most influential people in the art world. As the magazine pointed out, the “activist movement has come to symbolize a global reckoning on racial justice.” The September 2020 issue of Vogue, which is traditionally the most critical issue of the year, featured two portraits of Black women by two Black artists: Jordan Casteel and Kerry James Marshall.
There were also countless works produced in response to the 2020 US presidential race, the election, and pieces inspired by artists’ experiences in lockdown. David Hockney released a series of iPad paintings of flowers he made while quarantining in Normandy, and Cecily Brown produced her Bedroom Paintings during the spring and summer.
INTERNATIONAL ART FAIRS
The cancellation of art fairs worldwide was a devastating consequence of the pandemic, and thousands of artists who rely on these events for exposure were primarily affected. Although some fairs had to postpone, some were able to find partial solutions. These include Paris Art Week, which was mostly salvaged by organizing LE PARI(S) (an art week of events both in-person and virtual) after the cancellation of FIAC 2020.
2020 has been a year like no other, and there is no guarantee that 2021 will be better, but what we do know is that the art this year has produced is transcendent and exceptional, and no matter what comes next, the creative world is willing and able to adapt.
