Contemporary Art Excludes the 99%

Stephanie Poon
Feb 25, 2015 12:00AM

May 2012

Four leading art world figures, Ben Lewis and Paul Chan went head to head against Elizabeth Ann Macgregor and Joseph Kosuth to argue the motion: "Contemporary Art Excludes the 99 Percent.” The debate addressed issues such as: What is the role of contemporary art museums today? Are biennales and art fairs platforms for experiment and exchange, or little more than social attractions for the elite? Have collectors become the new curators? Are private and corporate interests in culture at odds with the public good? And ultimately, who is art for? Lewis and Chan, arguing for the motion, took the title home with a 64% vote, a big swing compared with a majority poll against the motion before the debate. 

RESULTS

Pre-debate Vote: 39% For | 41% Against | 20% Undecided

Post-debate Vote: 64% For | 33% Against | 3% Undecided

Stephanie Poon