In a world where art is more visible and accessible than ever before, we’re seeing a shift in how we engage with it. Art is everywhere, flooding our screens, often reduced to a quick scroll through Instagram or a glance at a TikTok video. But what happens when the experience of consuming art becomes just as disposable as the next trend?  

This article isn’t about nostalgia for the past, back when art had a more sacred role; it’s about asking ourselves: What does it mean to appreciate art nowadays, and where does the artist fit into this evolving landscape? 

Artificial Intelligence: The illusion of Creation  

Although it is clear that artificial intelligence will never be able to recreate the soul that an artist imparts into a work, it allows for the « creation » of art in a way that completely devalues the human creative process. Today, anyone can produce a semblance of a visual work using a specific prompt, thus removing all credit from artists. Why spend time and money on an actual artist when AI can generate images in a fraction of a second, at no cost? This vision of artistic creation, which reduces art to an instant and free product, not only weakens the artist’s status but also the perceived value of art itself. 
Another major issue arising from this dynamic is the lack of recognition and compensation for artists, especially those who manage to sell their art via social media. The idea that art should be free or easily accessible is widely spread, but it overlooks a fundamental fact: artistic creation is a form of work that requires expertise and mastery, and thus deserves fair compensation. In a world where AI can mass-produce art, the human artist, instead of being seen as a creator with a unique vision, is quickly overshadowed by a machine able to do everything. 

Too many images: The overload of visual content  

Have you ever scrolled through your social media feed and been overwhelmed by the sheer number of visual content available there? This constant stream of images has transformed our consumption of art, often leading to a sense of numbness. When every post is accompanied by a trending sound, it’s hard to truly connect with the work itself. As consumers, we’ve become conditioned to see art not as something to be appreciated, but as something to be consumed quickly and moved on from. 

Even when browsing a catalog of animated movies or series, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of productions available. There’s this constant pressure to keep up, to not miss out on the latest hit everyone is talking about right now.  

But here’s the paradox: these very trends, while contributing to this overload, also offer a way for artists to connect. They create opportunities for fan art, collaboration, and building a community around shared interests. As artists, the very platforms that can help us build a community also contribute to this image overload, where the focus shifts from quality to quantity. We’re told to “produce more, faster” or risk being drowned in a sea of content. How does it impact the artist’s role, and how do we ensure that we still value the intent and emotion behind the work? 

The race against time  

In today’s fast-paced world, time is the ultimate enemy. Whether it’s social media, work, or daily life, we’ve been conditioned to keep moving, keep consuming, and keep producing. For artists, this means that a piece of art—regardless of whether it took days or months to create—must grab attention in the blink of an eye. Whether on a screen or in the physical world, we’re encouraged to create and consume quickly, with little room for pause. Artists are now forced to juggle the dual roles of content creators and true artists, often sacrificing the depth and emotion of their work for fast, shareable pieces that can fit into this constant rush. 

Even in major art and animation studios, deadlines are tighter than ever, and creative time is becoming more of a luxury than a given. In this environment, the pressure to produce quickly often overshadows the artistic integrity of the work. 

On a more positive note 

While I do question the evolution of the perception of art and the shift towards seeing it as a product rather than an expression, I also love seeing the growing popularity of animated series and films, which are reaching broader and more diverse audiences than ever before. It’s also extremely inspiring to see independent artists gaining recognition and being able to share their work with the world thanks to social media.  

This shift has opened up new opportunities for creative voices to be heard and appreciated, enabling artists from all over the world to connect with each other and with audiences in ways that weren’t possible before.  

Maëlle Millet