ARTWORLD DNA - AKS - ADPS
Why measure art knowledge and art power separately? The contemporary art world often treats knowledge, visibility, prestige and influence as if they were the same thing. They are not. A curator may have decades of research, deep historical understanding and highly developed critical judgment while having limited access to major institutions. A collector may possess significant decision-making power while having relatively little formal or demonstrated art knowledge. An academic may be extensively cited but have little influence over acquisitions, exhibitions or market visibility. Conversely, a museum director, advisor or patron may strongly shape which artists become visible to future generations. The AKS x ADPS project begins with a simple proposition: art knowledge and art decision power should be observed as two different dimensions. Separating them allows us to ask more useful questions about careers, institutions and the structures that shape contemporary art.