For those who lost track of what day it was in early 2020, it may come as a bit of a shock that we are about to slide into 2022—but here we are.
Many of the problems the art world faced in 2021 were a continuation of those that cropped up in the tumultuous year that preceded it. The public continued to interrogate museums over their treatment of workers, their attachments to patrons with problematic sources of wealth, and their dragon-like hold on items of questionable provenance.
But the art industry faced new challenges: dramatic political changes afoot in Hong Kong could upset its position as a cultural and art market center in Asia. Ethical questions have swirled about museums’ role in enforcing vaccine mandates at the risk of alienating audiences, and debates around restitution and institutional reforms have moved on from looking at why this must happen to now considering how this can be done.
Below, we spotlight 11 controversial questions that ignited vital conversations that will continue to be relevant in 2022.
