The Whitney Biennial this year left me feeling underwhelmed. I struggled to differentiate between what was considered art and what resembled a monotonous HR training video. However, despite my personal dissatisfaction, as an economist, I must admit that the exhibition accomplished one of its primary functions: reflecting our society and economy back at us.
The Whitney Biennial’s theme centered around the use of artificial intelligence in conjunction with discussions on gender and authenticity. The goal was to explore the fluidity of identity, the relationship between mind and body, and the evolving complexities of our natural and artificial environments. While some aspects of this theme fascinated me, there were also moments where the content felt predictable and lacked daring.
My feelings of disappointment were not unique. Several critics also expressed similar sentiments, noting that much of the exhibition played it safe and stuck to familiar territory. Despite its shortcomings, however, the Whitney Biennial did succeed in fostering critical conversations about societal systems and how elite institutions may be hindering innovation and originality.