The Art World: What If...?!

The Art World: What If...?!

Author: Allan Schwartzman and Charlotte Burns Language: English Episodes: 100
Imagine stepping into a conversation where the entire framework of the art world is open for debate. That’s the space created in The Art World: What If...?!, a podcast hosted by art journalist Charlotte Burns and renowned advisor Allan Schwartzman. They don’t just report on the current state of culture; they invite a radical rethinking of its very foundations, from how art is made and valued to who gets to participate and why. Each episode is built on a simple, powerful premise: posing a transformative question to some of the most influential figures in the field. You’ll hear exclusive, in-depth dialogues with museum directors like MoMA's Glenn Lowry, alongside leading artists, collectors, and innovators. These conversations dig into the practical and philosophical consequences of change, blending serious insight with genuine humor and unexpected perspectives. This isn't about predictions, but about exploration-listening feels like being part of a private, lively salon where assumptions are challenged and new possibilities are sketched out. The result is a consistently engaging and thought-provoking look at the forces that shape our cultural landscape. For anyone curious about the future of art, this podcast provides a unique and essential forum.
Episodes
The Art World: Hope & Dread,  Long Nights at the Round Table [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:43
For the final episode, hosts Charlotte Burns and Allan Schwartzman are joined by the series' editorial advisors, Deana Haggag, Mia Locks and Jay Sanders. They'll highlight key discoveries and plot some of the changes tha…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Are You Sitting Uncomfortably? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:52
As shifts in power scramble the chessboard, how are our guests reacting to the pace of change? Our interviewees—from critics to museum directors, philanthropists to an astrologer—share their tips for dealing with discomf…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, The Business of Art [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:27
In the first of two episodes dedicated to the business of art, Charlotte Burns and Allan Schwartzman trace the changing contours of an industry defined by dealmaking. Power within the art trade is held by a few key playe…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Artists: Players or Pawns? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:02
In a series dedicated to tectonic shifts in power in art, why did we wait so long to devote a show to the artists themselves? Well, we wanted to paint a picture of the landscape in which those creators now live and work…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Westward Ho! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:53
The series heads north by northwest to Portland, Oregon to uncover a surprisingly hideous history: could it be that this hipster mecca was founded as a whites-only utopia? Answer: hell, yeah. When a curator has to rub sh…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Executive Session [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:46
Today you'll hear from that echelon who are really running America's museums: the board. This is where the real power in museums resides. We'll find out if these trustees have fully grasped the issues that museums need t…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Take Me To Your Leader [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:21
Having examined the pressure mounting on institutions from the street, the public galleries and then from within - this penultimate museum-focused episode asks who'd want to run one? Hosts Charlotte Burns and Allan Schwa…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Infernal Affairs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:02
We're going behind the scenes at the museum to better understand the recent groundswell of voices criticizing museum power structures as they exist, coming in the form of unionization efforts, artist-led activism and ope…
The Art World: Hope & Dread, Burning Down The House? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:31
Museums have become cultural battlegrounds—monuments to meaning that are struggling to contain democracy. Museums have mushroomed: from audience numbers to board members, from the value of art to the real estate that hou…