Where does culture come from?
The LRB Podcast
Art and Commodification: A Paradox
Art transitioning into a commodity on the marketplace transforms artists into mere producers. In traditional societies, art served political sovereignty, providing stable jobs for cultural workers. The marketplace, however, renders the audience anonymous. While the integration of art into the market deprives cultural workers of their livelihood, it paradoxically offers a degree of freedom by making art autonomous from its traditional social functions. This autonomy allows art to become self-referential and critical, marking a shift in its historical role. The process of commodification, although stripping art of its original purposes, also liberates it by enabling critique and self-reflection.
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