"As activists across the United States call for a nationwide strike against ICE today, the question facing cultural institutions is not whether to take sides rhetorically, but whether their material practices can withstand the moral pressure of the moment. I don't doubt that many of the people writing these statements mean them. But in the art world, sincerity has a way of settling into style while the underlying terms of business remain untouched."
"We already have a name for one version of this pattern: performative allyship. In 2015 and 2016 it took the form of safety pins worn to signal safety and moral alignment. In 2020 it appeared as black squares posted in near unison across social media feeds. In each case, the gesture oriented itself toward being seen on the right side of history. Because its primary function was reputational, it was almost entirely frictionless."
Galleries and cultural institutions frequently post solidarity statements supporting protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement while maintaining existing business practices. Visual gestures like black squares, safety pins, and designed captions signal moral alignment but require little operational change. Such frictionless allyship prioritizes reputation and visibility over redistributing resources, altering funding, or changing how artists are compensated. Sincerity can coexist with a lack of substantive action when institutions do not adjust hiring, funding, programming, or payment practices. Material changes — not just statements or temporary closures timed for convenience — are necessary to make allyship durable rather than disposable.
Read at Hyperallergic
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