The influence of social: how much does an artist count outside Instagram?

In a world increasingly dominated by image culture, Instagram has turned into one of the most powerful tools for contemporary artists. It is not just a platform for sharing one’s work, but a true digital exhibition space, capable of connecting the artist with a global audience. However, behind the seductive promise of visibility and connections, deep questions emerge: how much does an artist really matter outside of Instagram? And what are the risks of a system that seems to measure artistic value in terms of algorithms, likes, and followers?

For many artists, Instagram represents anunprecedented opportunity . Emerging artists, who in the past would have had to struggle to gain visibility through galleries or exhibitions, can now build a career from their social profile. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case of artists who have been able to use the platform in innovative ways, turning it into an extension of their practice. Site-specific works designed for the feed format, performances documented in real time, or videos that exploit the viral potential of stories: social media has become a means of expression, not just promotion.

Yet, there is a fine line between using Instagram as a tool and making it the ultimate goal. The risk is thatart is reduced to content, optimized to attract attention in the fleeting universe of scrolling. In this context, the success of a work might be judged more on its visual potential, that is, how “Instagrammable” it is, than on its conceptual or emotional value. This shift in perspective raises a fundamental question: are we witnessing an evolution of artistic language or a trivialization of it?

One of the most controversial aspects of the relationship between art and social media concerns the role of algorithms. On Instagram, as on other platforms, visibility is not distributed equally: content that gets more engagement, such as likes, comments, shares, is pushed further into users’ feeds. This creates a vicious circle in which the most popular artists become more and more visible, while those who fail to meet the algorithm’s criteria risk being relegated to the margins. In this context, it is not uncommon for artists to feel pressured to create works that maximizeengagement, sacrificing complexity and depth in favor of appealing aesthetics and easily digestible messages.

But is art really compatible with the logic of digital marketing? And how fair is it that an algorithm, designed to increase dwell time on the platform, ends up influencing an artist’s success? Social media addiction also raises questions about the nature of artistic success. Having thousands or millions of followers on Instagram does not always translate into institutional recognition or concrete professional opportunities. Some artists, despite having a strong online following, struggle to break into the gallery or museum circuit. At the same time, there are artists who choose to stay off social media, focusing on more traditional practices and still finding an audience through alternative channels.

This dynamic challenges the relationship between visibility and value. A like on Instagram is a form of instant approval, but it is also superficial. How much does the long-term impact of a work on a platform designed to be forgotten in a matter of seconds matter? And how can we distinguish between real success and an illusion created by digital metrics?

Despite the critical issues, the link between art and social media is not necessarily a negative one. Some artists are trying to subvert the logic of the platform, using it not only to promote their own works, but also to stimulate critical dialogue. Through posts that reflect on the very mechanisms of social media, or collaborations involving local communities, it is possible to transform Instagram into a tool for awareness and participation.

In addition, initiatives are emerging that seek to pair digital with new modes of artistic interaction. Virtual exhibitions, decentralized platforms, and temporary exhibition spaces offer alternatives to the social media-dominated model. These experiments suggest that it is possible to imagine art that uses the potential of the digital without being completely absorbed by its logic.

In the end, the relationship between art and social media is an open question, reflecting the broader tensions of our age: between visibility and substance, speed and depth, accessibility and control. Instagram is a powerful tool, but it is only one of the spaces in which art can exist and thrive.

Perhaps the real challenge for contemporary artists is to find a balance between these worlds. Continue to use social media as a medium, without letting it become an end. To cultivate practices that go beyond the immediate, resisting the temptation to reduce art to a mere visual product. Because, in the end, the value of a work is not measured in likes, but in its ability to transform those who encounter it.

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.