Free Entry - Art is not solely experienced through ownership.

Never before have we had this level of access to art, to these MRIs of culture. We are not confined to the photographs and postcards of the past, not hampered by another’s hands clumsily reproducing the original, the scope of our vision is unrestricted by the size of our step or social circle.

The vast majority of contemporary art is available at our fingertips. No red ropes to stop us getting closer, we simply pinch and zoom. No entry fee straining our budget for the month, or opening hours restricting when we can be amongst the art, we just open a new tab, scroll a few inches, and we’re there.

No longer does the experience of art require ownership by person or proxy, it doesn’t require patronage, pilgrimage, or even paying lip service. There’s no glass to get in the way if you want to save a copy of what you see, no other guests to interrupt your enjoyment of the work.

You can freely experience so much of life as told through art. You can learn from, all these refractions and reflections for free. (Chances are you can even find a video or podcast to give you your own guided tour for many great works of age and modernity.)

Now I am not saying this system is perfect. Sculpture and spacial design still fall down before small flat screens, performance art looses some impact played on the same device as candy crush. But it is a far better approximation than we have ever had access to in the past. My own work may not translate perfectly through a phone, but other screens are available to many of us, we just have to use them.

This speaks to the true limit in this system, the same limit in a free museum or a paid one, physical or digital, they still require you.

You need to participate, to pause, to be present. You need to appreciate all there is for it to be anymore than visual noise. You need to do more than lament “creativities death” and appreciate it whilst it’s alive.

Others have given us the access to this gallery, this ever moving museum, but we need to be the ones to walk through the door.