The Art of Populism

Boris Groys argues that artists and intellectuals are drawn to populism because modern culture is split into elite and mass culture, and both sides feel frustrated by that split. He says that serious artists, especially those experimenting with language, feel marginalized, while mass culture figures want to be taken seriously, so both seek a culture where the serious becomes popular. He also argues that Clement Greenberg was wrong to call populist culture kitsch, since it is boring and functions as a sign of ideological commitment. In his view, populism offers artists relief from the pressure to make work that is aesthetically recognized or entertaining, and every populism is therefore intrinsically religious.