What art does the world need?

It’s a tricky question. Different situations ask for diverse artistic expressions to represent, respond and engage with them.

Art can deepen our experience of life, make us aware of issues and possibilities we hadn’t considered, wake us up from false assumptions and introduce new ideas that shape society.

Currently, I would say that only a minority of art is succeeding in this aim, let alone striving to achieve it. And I think this is systematic, that it is part of the current energy of humanity to seek refuge in the apparent, superficial, trivial, absurd, and void in the face of the transcendental narrative being defaced.

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It comes down to the question: where do we look for answers?

Because we feel the old religious systems no longer serve us, we have swung to the opposite of that, which is atheism and materialism, in which the great advances in science and capitalism are founded.

This in turn has left us unbalanced once again, for we now have the power to destroy humanity and are responsible for major ecological concerns, yet we seem to be no closer to understanding what life really is and is about, therefore producing conflict all over.

A new balance is being called into existence, once which addresses the transcendental in a new, practical way and which can permeate the political and economic systems to change for the better.

An example of that would be for the power structures to change from power through fear — control, to power through love — service (instead of self-service).

Art can address all of this and more, but our current perspective is too limited and ego-driven to consider it.

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So the artistic question is not about what format art should take (which art world / theory is myopically concerned about) but rather what is art’s content, what are its intentions, its perspectives, what does it mean for people on the planet right now and always.

In the end it’s about what does this artwork say about who we are, where we’re at and where we’re going.

About what is life, what is humanity and Who am I?

These are the questions artists deal with either consciously or unconsciously, because they are the questions every person on the planet is dealing with.

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There’s a balance between what artist’s create and what people want/need.
I would say that people want to be entertained, but need to be awakened.

And because artists are the first who take a step, we have the opportunity to make a conscious decision to create art that brings meaning and purpose into people’s lives, furthermore to become that kind of people, and in essence, to lead the way.

If we dwell on the apparent, on the absurd, on the meaningless — which exists in abundance — we are missing the opportunity to provide new and compelling expressions / answers through art, and will be resisting the shift toward a better balance in art and in life.

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So, what art does the world need?

If we accept the premise that through our decisions we create the reality we experience, and so by making better decisions consistently we create better realities, we know that we have designed the world the way it is by what we knew at the time, and can design a new world through new understandings.

Art can be a powerful tool to express those new understandings and thus help manifest them in the world around us.