HowlRound: At a dinner recently, a friend argued that the there’s “too much” art: “too many” choices, “too many” artists, that picking what to see or what to engage with was, in short, “overwhelming.” But what is the alternative?
Any intervention, any pre-curation stinks of institutionalism and Amazon consumer algorithms. Should one limit one’s self to shows stamped with the NYTimes Critics’ Pick sticker? If a show earns a Critics’ Pick, should each performer wear a sticker across their forehead to remind the audience of their worthiness? As we endeavor into another January performance festival season in New York City, filled with myriad choice of aesthetics and artist backgrounds via the Under the Radar Festival, Coil, American Realness, Prototype, and newcomer Special Effects, in addition to APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) showcases at the Hilton Midtown and throughout the city, the onus of choice falls less on curators and more on each audience member to fight out of the box of one’s own personal taste. When everything is available, what will you see?
