Reading the Art World: András Szántó
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Listen to our latest podcast episode featuring András Szántó—cultural strategist, writer, and longtime observer of museums and markets—discussing his new book, The Future of the Art World: 38 Dialogues, published by Hatje Cantz, the final volume in a trilogy that began with The Future of the Museum in 2020.
The book brings together 38 conversations with artists, curators, sociologists, philosophers, collectors, gallerists, and institutional leaders from around the world. Rather than advancing a single thesis, Szántó maps the pressures shaping the field today: the consolidation of mega-galleries and the strain on mid-sized dealers, the erosion of traditional art criticism and what may replace it, the precarious economics of artistic careers, and the question of whether the current system is evolving gradually or approaching a more fundamental realignment.
In this conversation, we consider the scale of the global art world—some 300 art fairs, more than 100,000 museums, and a market approaching $60 billion—and ask whether that expansion has altered the system in kind, not only in size. We also examine the role of the art advisor within an increasingly complex ecosystem, the importance of criticism in sustaining the values on which the market depends, and whether artificial intelligence may emerge as a new connective tissue for engagement with art.
Szántó is cautiously optimistic—and makes a compelling case for why.
Never have in history so many people occupied themselves with the making, presentation, exchange, and discussion around art… Never has there been this much money being spent on art as in this very moment.
– András Szántó
About the Author
András Szántó, PhD, advises museums, foundations, educational institutions, and leading brands worldwide on cultural strategy. He has directed the Museums of Tomorrow Roundtable at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Global Museum Leaders Colloquium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Artforum, and The Art Newspaper. Born in Budapest, he lives in Brooklyn.