Commodification of art versus creativity: The Antagonist Art Movement in the expanding arts scene of New York City

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between artists and cities as the global art market continues to expand in established cultural hubs such as New York City. Using Bourdieu’s engagement with the art field, we draw from interdisciplinary scholarship on the relationship between artists and cities to examine the ways in which artists engage with the demands of urban livelihood and the desire to create art. Due to these two - at times contradictory - needs, artists find ways to create and show art in non-commercial spaces and to establish linkages with an international artist community. In particular, we explore art-space creation and community building by the Antagonist Art Movement (an international art group based in New York City) in Berlin, Lisbon, and New York City to investigate the relationships between individual artists, art groups, and the art market in 21 st century cities. The tensions between urban artists and global art market demands are analyzed through interviews, films, and observations of Antagonist Art Movement events. How the AAM produces these spaces reveals the connections of art to urbanization and globalization. Antagonist art spaces are produced through the tensions between 1) the commodification of art and artists’ creativity and 2) the challenges of living in urban spaces while creating art. The roles cities play in art production and how artists shape the cities in which they work and live create a mutual constitution through which urban art practice is redefined in 21st century cities.