Keeping Art Alive, Even After the Show Ends
What will you do to ensure the legacy of inclusion, accessibility, and bold expression endures?
Art doesn’t stop when the exhibition closes its doors. It doesn’t live only within the white walls of galleries or the curated halls of biennales. Art is alive, but only if we fight to keep it that way.
The Venice Biennale 2024 has just concluded, leaving a trail of inspiration, bold strides in diversity, and groundbreaking accessibility initiatives. But what happens now? What happens when the banners come down, the installations are dismantled, and the world’s attention shifts elsewhere? Art’s greatest challenge isn’t in being displayed—it’s in staying alive.
The truth is, the energy, ideas, and voices showcased during events like the Biennale are fleeting if they’re not nurtured after the lights dim. Marginalized artists who gained rare visibility may fade back into obscurity. Accessibility programs that opened doors for underrepresented groups risk becoming one-time experiments instead of enduring practices. The fiery discussions about inclusion, identity, and belonging could cool into silence.
This can’t be the legacy of events like the Venice Biennale.
When art makes us feel something—when it pushes boundaries, provokes thought, or gives voice to the voiceless—it carries a responsibility. And that responsibility lies with us: the critics, the curators, the institutions, and most importantly, the viewers. Because the truth is, what we do after the show ends defines art’s future.
So, what can you do to keep art alive? Start by staying engaged. Follow the artists whose work moved you; share their voices and stories. Push for local institutions to adopt the inclusion and accessibility measures that global platforms like the Biennale are beginning to embrace. Hold galleries and museums accountable—ask if their programming reflects the diversity of the world we live in.
And it’s not just institutions. It’s about you. Art exists in how you choose to carry its lessons into your daily life. Whether it’s advocating for marginalized creators, volunteering at community art programs, or even just speaking about what you’ve seen and felt—it all matters. Keeping art alive means making it a part of your story.
The Venice Biennale 2024 was about breaking barriers, but barriers don’t stay broken unless we ensure they do. Art doesn’t stop when the exhibitions end. It thrives—or it withers—based on what we do next.
So ask yourself: What will you do to keep art alive? The answer will shape not just the legacy of one event, but the future of art itself.
ART Walkway News