Galleries Embracing Social Responsibility in the Art World
Title: Art Commerce in a Museum’s Clothing: “Mother Nature in the Bardo” and the Rise of Institution-Like Gallery Exhibitions
In a rapidly evolving art world shaped by shifting values, rising skepticism toward traditional institutions, and the increasing commodification of cultural output, a new kind of exhibition model is emerging. Commercial galleries and event spaces are beginning to adopt the presentation styles of museums — curating exhibitions that aim not only to sell, but also to signify deeper cultural value and social impact. Among the latest examples of this trend is Mother Nature in the Bardo, a group exhibition currently on view at High Line Nine in Chelsea, New York City. Curated by Evanly Schindler, founder and former publisher of BlackBook magazine, the show blurs the lines between institutional reverence and market-driven ambition.
A Curated Showcase in Commercial Wrapping
Mother Nature in the Bardo brings together an intriguing mix of historic and contemporary artists — from canonical figures like Monet, Yves Klein, and Salvador Dali to present-day creators including Ebony G. Patterson, Jammie Holmes, and Wangechi Mutu. Works by the Hudson River School painters Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt share wall space with pieces from Robert Rauschenberg and Yayoi Kusama. While the exhibition has the visual language of a museum show, it is ultimately a commercial venture — every artwork is purchasable.
The show occupies both a conceptual and geographic space that has become increasingly popular: borrowing the credibility of cultural institutions while operating within for-profit frameworks. Located at High Line Nine, a venue beneath the fashionable and tourist-heavy High Line Park, the exhibition caters to a foot traffic-friendly location while offering wall text and curatorial framing more commonly found in nonprofit art museums.
The Mirage of Impact: Environmental and Social Claims
Mother Nature in the Bardo positions itself as more than just an art sale. The curatorial narrative — arguably ambitious, possibly overreaching — claims to investigate the intersection of art, culture, and the environment. Its purported mission includes fostering “a sense of shared responsibility” and exploring the consequences of our actions on the planet.
To bolster its virtuous presentation, the exhibition names UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report as an “impact partner,” pledging to donate 10% of the profits from sales to the organization. However, critics have questioned the show’s depth of engagement with the causes it champions. For instance, the exhibition catalogue includes seven essays — all penned by men from the U.S. or Western Europe — and offers sparse representation of the frontline communities most directly affected by climate change, particularly in the Global South.
Performance or Progress?
This move by a private exhibition to ‘perform’ the role of a museum is not without precedent. Blue chip galleries like David Zwirner and Hauser & Wirth have similarly embraced academic-style exhibitions that blend scholarship with salesmanship. In these hybrid spaces, curatorial depth becomes both a display of legitimacy and a marketing strategy.
The criticism, however, lies in the authenticity and accountability behind these presentations. Is the invocation of institutional gravitas merely a veneer to attract upscale buyers? Or do these exhibitions provide pathways to more inclusive conversations and accessible art experiences?
In the case of Mother Nature in the Bardo, the signals are mixed. The show’s blurriness — both in metaphor and in the oddly pixelated images of its own catalog — reveals the tension between message and market. While the exhibition offers compelling visual presentations and genuinely thought-provoking work by talented artists, its surrounding editorial and institutional claims seem less grounded.
The Uneasy Relationship Between Money and Meaning
The power of the exhibition lies in its contradictions. Pieces like Ebony G. Patterson’s elaborately detailed mixed media work “…BENT…AND RIPPLED IN THE SWALLOW….SUBMITTING TO….AN ENDING” (2023) confront viewers with richly layered narratives that could — and should — stand in dialogue with broader environmental and social justice concerns. Similarly, contemporary installations sit meaningfully alongside historic works, generating reflections on temporality and the cycles of catastrophe and beauty in nature.
But despite these strengths, the commercial undercurrent remains inescapable. The artworks are priced for buyers who can afford to use fine art as both cultural capital and investment. The wall labels and exhibition catalogs offer upscale press-friendly context, but they do not go far in bridging the gap between consumption and conscience.
The presence of glossy branding, elite affiliations, and climate crisis rhetoric leaves a residue of cynicism. The curatorial introduction by Klaus Biesenbach, for instance, fails to speak meaningfully to broader equity concerns. Recounting his experience evacuating his Rockaways property during Hurricane Sandy, his statement, “even I had to leave back to Manhattan,” lands as jarringly disconnected when compared to the experiences of those who had no escape.
Lessons from a Simulated Museum
Mother Nature in the Bardo highlights the ongoing evolution of how art is presented, sold, and contextualized