Made for the Camera

Social media added a new twist the early artists never faced. A work meant to vanish now leaves a permanent digital record the instant a phone comes out, and that record can reach far more people than the room ever could.

This splits today's artists. Some refuse all filming, guarding the live moment as the only real version. Others lean in and design the whole piece for the screen — choosing camera angles and shareable images over the live crowd. The performance and its recording are slowly becoming two different artworks.