What’s the role of social media in relation to art and protest?

Martin Krenn: Gregory Sholette

Social media such as Facebook, Youtube and most of the other networks are controlled by large companies; who actually earn a lot of money with it. On the other hand people are using social media to organise several forms of protest ranging from revolts against their governments to activities such as occupy wall-street. They are using social media to connect with each other to engage politically and socially. The art system is also based on a hierarchical structure in which only a small number of people and the established art institutions profit on the globalized workforce of the mass of amateur artists and so called failed artists. The formula here is, as I would put it, that everyone can become an artist, but only a few artists will earn his/her living from art. What do you think about that paradoxical situation?