the vast majority of academic, social, and cultural work barely pass by more than a few pairs of eyes and are actually drains on existing resources.
This just seems harsh.
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the vast majority of academic, social, and cultural work barely pass by more than a few pairs of eyes and are actually drains on existing resources.
This just seems harsh.
I know, and I wish it were not the case. To clarify, I'm also including the vast amount of research, assignments, and thesis work that is usually only transferred between 2 or 3 pairs of hands. The vast amount of creative work (sketches, prototypes, napkin notes, even finished products), curatorial work, and social work do not make it farther than a dedicated few and a short lifespan.
For me, this all boils down to the fact that modern cultural production is for the most part incompatible with modern economy. Even the most 'successful' institutions in the world (let's take for example the Met or the MoMA just a subway ride away from me) cannot sustain themselves with their own cultural offerings (in the form of ticket sales or ticketed events). They are almost completely reliant on endowments and external support.
Again, what I think you and your classmates have done is monetize the previously unmonetizable and set a precedent for all types of cultural production, especially in the academic domain.
I think my fundamental discomfort is with that monetization. I think that modern cultural production should be incompatible with our current economy.