Challenge 1 2026

Challenge 1

Activity for this week -

Groups of 5-7 students.

Step 1 - Find 5-7 media sources (websites, news) that aligns with Advertising as a Human and Social Reality.
Summarize into 1 slide

Step 2 - Find 5-7 research sources (scholarly) that aligns with Advertising as a Human and Social Reality.
Summarize into 1 slide

How does advertising link people socially?

Step 3 - Take a look at the classical art vs. A.I. case
How do you relate advertising, arts, A.I. and social reality?

Step 4 - Build an Advertising Strategy for the case with the point of view - Classical Art will survive.

Step 5 - Build an analysis on how Your Advertising Strategy can persuade people towards that.

References and Sources:

https://medium.com/@moonstorming/how-advertising-has-become-an-agent-of-social-change-148aa0ef303a

Classical Art and Artificial Intelligence: Value, Scarcity, and the Human Signal

Central Question

In a world where art can be created instantly, what becomes truly rare — the artwork, or the human behind it?

This case invites participants to examine how visual arts can retain meaning, value, and relevance in an era shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and global digital circulation.

Context and Rationale

Rooted in centuries of craftsmanship, symbolism, and human expression, Classical Art has historically been defined by time, mastery, material scarcity, and emotional depth. Today, it faces a new creative counterpart: machine-generated intelligence, capable of producing images, styles, and compositions in seconds.

As AI reshapes how we create, curate, and consume culture, institutions, artists, collectors, and educators must confront a fundamental shift:

Scarcity is no longer tied to production
Access is no longer limited by geography
Visual output is no longer proof of authorship

This case explores what must now be redefined.

Scope of Exploration

This case focuses specifically on visual arts, including:

Painting
Sculpture
Mixed media
Installation and exhibition-based practices

Participants are asked to consider the entire ecosystem of visual arts:

Creation
Curation
Distribution
Valuation
Education
Emotional and psychological engagement

Key Questions for Analysis

1. Curation and Global Dialogue

How does the curation process differ across countries and cultural contexts?
How do local curatorial practices translate — or fail to translate — in a globalized art market?
How does digital communication influence what is seen, shared, and valued internationally?

2. Strategy and Sustainability

How can visual arts maintain economic, educational, and cultural relevance in a technology-driven world?
What strategic adjustments are necessary for museums, galleries, artists, and educators?
Should visual arts resist, integrate, or strategically leverage AI technologies?

3. The Economics of Art

What economic systems underpin the global art market today?
Is the long-standing narrative of the “poor artist” still viable — or necessary?
How do new technologies affect scarcity, pricing, and collector behavior?

4. Emotional and Psychological Value

How do emotional attachment, neuroscience, and psychology influence artistic value?
Can machine-generated art elicit the same emotional resonance as human-created work?
What role does intention, vulnerability, and lived experience play in perception and meaning?

5. Technology and the Future

How will artificial intelligence influence the creation, appreciation, and valuation of art over the next 10–20 years?
What risks does automation pose to authorship, originality, and cultural memory?
Where can meaningful synergy between human creativity and technology emerge?

The Challenge

Participants are asked to develop a strategic plan for the future of visual arts that:

Preserves artistic integrity
Ensures economic sustainability
Strengthens educational relevance
Adapts intelligently to technological change

The objective is not to reject technology, but to redefine value in a world where production is abundant and human meaning is scarce.

Deliverables

10-minute presentation
10-minute Q&A

Presentations should:

Articulate a clear strategic position
Demonstrate interdisciplinary thinking (art, business, psychology, technology)
Address both opportunities and risks
Propose actionable, realistic pathways forward

Evaluation criteria:

Analysis of the current ecosystem both artistic and technology (including economy, markets, structures)
Financial and Economical strategic analysis
Recommendation & realism
Implementation & strategic plans moving forward in the next 5 to 10 years based on available data
Presentation skills and team cohesion

Underlying Tension

The easier it becomes to make art,
the harder it becomes to make it matter.

This case asks participants to confront this paradox — not with nostalgia, but with strategy, insight, and courage.

Case Background

Understanding the Global Art Curation Ecosystem

To meaningfully assess the future of visual arts in a technology-driven world, it is essential to understand how classical art is currently curated, legitimized, and circulated. Contrary to popular belief, the art world is not an open marketplace driven purely by talent or creativity. It is a highly structured ecosystem shaped by institutions, networks, gatekeepers, and long-term cultural strategy.

1. The Role of Major Museums and Cultural Institutions

Top-tier museums such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, the Uffizi, MoMA, the Tate, and major national galleries function as cultural authorities, not merely exhibition spaces. Their influence extends far beyond public display.

These institutions:

Define art historical narratives
Legitimize artists, movements, and periods
Influence academic research and education
Shape market demand and valuation
Act as cultural diplomats on a global stage

Inclusion in a major museum collection or exhibition often represents institutional validation, a signal that an artwork or artist has entered the cultural canon. This validation can take decades, sometimes centuries, to fully materialize.

Museums balance several strategic constraints:

Preservation of heritage
Public education and accessibility
Donor and sponsor expectations
Political and cultural sensitivities
Financial sustainability
Reputation and long-term legacy

2. How the Curation Process Works

Curation is not a single decision but a multi-layered process involving curators, conservators, directors, boards, donors, and sometimes governments.

Key elements of curation include:

Scholarly research and historical positioning
Alignment with institutional mission and values
Conservation feasibility and material longevity
Narrative coherence within exhibitions
Audience engagement and educational impact
Funding availability and sponsorship alignment

Curators often specialize deeply, sometimes dedicating their careers to a single period, medium, or region. Their role blends academic rigor, storytelling, diplomacy, and strategic negotiation.

Importantly, curatorial decisions are rarely neutral. They reflect:

Cultural priorities
Social and political climates
Institutional identity
Long-term positioning within the global art ecosystem

3. The Global Art Network: Beyond Museums

Museums do not operate in isolation. They interact continuously with:

Private collectors
Auction houses (e.g., Sotheby’s, Christie’s)
Commercial galleries
Art fairs (Art Basel, Frieze)
Foundations and philanthropists
Universities and research institutions

This interconnected network determines:

Which artists gain visibility
Which movements are preserved or forgotten
How scarcity is constructed and maintained
How cultural capital converts into economic value

A work shown at a prestigious biennale, acquired by a major collection, or written about in academic literature often experiences a compounding effect on its perceived value.

4. Economic Structures Behind the Art World

Despite its aesthetic nature, the art world operates within a complex economic system.

Key characteristics include:

Extreme concentration of value at the top
High uncertainty for emerging artists
Long time horizons for recognition
Reliance on patronage, grants, and institutional support
Emotional and symbolic value driving pricing more than utility

The stereotype of the “poor artist” is not accidental. Historically, artistic value has often been recognized after financial hardship, reinforcing a narrative of sacrifice as legitimacy. Whether this model remains viable in a world of instant digital production is a central question of this case.

5. Cultural Differences in Curation and Communication

Curation practices vary significantly across regions:

European institutions often emphasize historical continuity and preservation
North American institutions balance innovation with market relevance
Asian institutions increasingly blend tradition with technological experimentation
Emerging markets navigate identity, globalization, and post-colonial narratives

In an interconnected world, exhibitions now circulate globally, and curatorial narratives must translate across cultures, languages, and values. This raises questions of authorship, appropriation, interpretation, and cultural authority.

6. The Arrival of AI in the Art Ecosystem

Artificial Intelligence introduces a new dynamic into this ecosystem:

Art can be generated instantly
Authorship becomes ambiguous
Scarcity shifts from production to intention
Curation may move from objects to processes, concepts, or humans

AI challenges traditional assumptions:

If art is abundant, what becomes valuable?
If creation is automated, where does meaning reside?
If anyone can generate images, who becomes the artist?

These tensions force institutions, educators, and markets to reconsider how artistic value is defined, preserved, and transmitted.

Exhibits

Exhibit A – The Classical Art Ecosystem

Key Characteristics:

Time-intensive creation
Material scarcity
Artist authorship
Curatorial gatekeeping
Emotional and symbolic depth

Primary Value Drivers:

Provenance
Craftsmanship
Historical context
Human narrative

Exhibit B – AI-Generated Art Ecosystem