artworld

Artworld refers to the network of people, institutions, and practices that produce, circulate, and interpret art. It encompasses artists, critics, curators, collectors, dealers, museums, galleries, grantmakers, universities, and the general public. The term captures how social contexts and organizational structures shape what counts as art and how works are received.

The concept was popularized in philosophy of art by Arthur C. Danto, who argued that art is defined not solely by intrinsic features but by the culturally situated framework that recognizes and legitimizes works as artworks. The idea builds on institutional theories of art and has become a standard way to analyze how meaning and value are produced through social processes within the artworld.

Key components of the artworld include institutions and markets that confer status and legitimacy—galleries, museums, auctions, academies, and funding bodies—along with the critics, historians, and educators who interpret and communicate significance. Artists create works within this milieu; researchers, curators, and journalists organize exhibitions and discourse; and audiences engage with and critique what they see.

The artworld influences questions of authenticity and attribution, since what counts as art depends on consensus within this ecosystem. It helps explain historical shifts, such as the prominence of conceptual art, where the idea or context can be as central as the object.

Debates surrounding the artworld address its explanatory scope and potential gatekeeping. Proponents contend that it clarifies how social and institutional factors shape meaning and value; critics warn of overemphasizing prestige or consensus at the expense of autonomous aesthetic judgment.