The Whitney Biennial Reflects our Society and Economy: A Critical Take on Art, Identity, and Risk-Taking.

This year’s Whitney Biennial was not as impressive as I had hoped. It was challenging to distinguish between what was considered art and what seemed more like a HR training video. However, despite my personal disappointment, as an economist, I must acknowledge that the exhibition did succeed in performing one of the fundamental roles of art: reflecting our society and economy back at us.

The theme of the exhibition centered around the utilization of artificial intelligence in conjunction with discussions on gender and authenticity. The goal was to delve into the fluidity of identity, the relationship between mind and body, and the evolving complexities of our natural and artificial environments. While I found aspects of this theme captivating, there were also moments where the content felt predictable and lacking in risk-taking.

Several critics also echoed feelings of disappointment, noting that much of the exhibition played it safe and stuck to familiar territory. Despite its flaws, however, the biennial did succeed in encouraging critical discussions around societal systems and the impact of elite institutions on creativity and innovation.