Lesson Text

Excerpt: “Artwashing is a form of settler logic. The idea of a “pioneering” commercial art world expanding to “Neo-Frontiers” is colonial. Like actual settler colonialism, art washing leads to displacement.” ⁣ ⁣

Zoe uses examples of this in New York, Bilbao, and LA but like they’ve said, this settler logic isn’t contained to these three cities. Cultural institutions that benefit off of a creative ecosystem while actively distancing themselves from said community are extractive, a phenomenon I’ve also witnessed with white owned institutions operating in Accra (Ghana) profiting of the commercial capital of African art yet remaining exclusionary and exploitative internally. ⁣ ⁣ What good are you doing if your presence comes at the cost of the very people you claim to represent’s lived experiences?⁣ ⁣

Related, @chicagoforblackliberation has a great resource on the creative saviour complex on their page, summarising ‘How to think differently about doing good as a creative person’ by @yelly_a. Sources + Referenced Resources in Caption/Comments are in our ‘Creative Économies’ Channel on are.na.