Why Contemporary Art Feels Uncomfortable, Even for Insiders

By Georgia Stewart

Being in any art space can be intimidating and uncertain, whether you're completely unfamiliar with the art world or consider yourself an “insider.” 

You may find yourself standing in front of a work, not knowing how long you’re meant to look, overly aware of those around you. Maybe you reread the wall text over and over again or wait for other people to react first before forming your own opinion. Whether it stems from institutional authority or the urge to be correct, the art world has created a culture of unspoken pressure to understand or to “get it.”

Contemporary art spaces often assume a level of visual literacy, even though this language is rarely spelled out. There is an undeniable pressure that even some of the most experienced viewers feel to understand art. But when intention and meaning aren’t clearly defined, understanding a work in the same way others do may not be the point.

The social performance of understanding reveals itself through a few familiar, yet unspoken behaviors. You may find yourself watching how others engage with a piece and use their reactions as a reference point for your own. You may mirror others' behaviors by standing at a piece longer than you typically would or by adjusting your interpretation to match theirs. Conversations often rely on vague phrases like “interesting...” or “wow, this piece is so compelling”, speaking about a piece without actually committing to anything substantial. You may even find yourself physically performing by nodding, standing with crossed arms at a thoughtful distance, or keeping your mouth slightly open without fully knowing why.

So why do we get uncomfortable and feel inclined to perform in contemporary art spaces? While there is a general idea that art should possess some sort of meaning, in contemporary art, meaning can be very fluid and sometimes not clearly articulated. When you view a piece in a gallery or a museum, you generally assume the piece must hold some importance because it was chosen to be displayed in these spaces.

Additionally, the controlled, almost sterile, environment of these spaces can heighten feelings of self-awareness. The pressure of being in a place housing significant art, surrounded by people who seem to see something you may not, creates an expectation of visual literacy, to understand a language that isn’t always clearly shared and constantly being redefined.

This discomfort and lack of understanding aren’t accidental, and they may be essential to the experience. A lack of understanding creates room for questions and engagement, destabilizes fixed meaning, and encourages active observation. Unless explicitly advised by the artist, art doesn’t have to have one fixed meaning.

Art can become a conversation between the artist, the viewer, and other viewers, shifting meaning with each encounter. The absence of understanding isn't a lack; it's only a temporary condition. Maybe the discomfort isn't something to resolve, and maybe it's the state that contemporary art wants us to remain in. Not knowing what to think, how to react, or exactly what you're looking at isn't a failure; it's participation.

Maybe we aren't supposed to “get it”. Maybe the experience, and the internal and external dialogue that comes with it, is the point. And if that's the case, is this culture of performance something that needs to be fixed, or is it simply part of how we as humans experience art?