Artists Urge Cultural Adaptation to Reach New Audiences
Table of Contents
A new generation of art consumers demands innovation and relevance, prompting creators to embrace modernity and reconnect with cultural roots.
Guadalajara, Jalisco – Artists across disciplines convened at FIL Thought 2025 on December 1, 2025, to discuss the critical need for cultural institutions and creators to adapt and broaden access to the arts. The consensus centered on attracting new audiences as a paramount challenge, requiring a willingness to move beyond established norms and embrace contemporary tools and perspectives.
The Evolving Landscape of Cultural Consumption
A central theme emerging from the “The Art of Telling Ourselves” panel was the recognition that culture is not currently prioritized by decision-makers. This reality necessitates a proactive approach from artists themselves to ensure their work remains relevant and accessible. One prominent voice at the event stated that the core challenge for culture lies in its ability to “offer a story to the viewer, give them tools and provide experiences that must be relevant in the contexts in which they occur.”
The discussion highlighted how modernity has become a vital conduit for cultural expression. The proliferation of the internet and social networks provides unprecedented opportunities to revisit and reinterpret historical aesthetics, cosmologies, and traditions for contemporary audiences. As one participant observed, “culture is consumed in a somewhat different way; although culture has always been part of our soul, of our dress, of presenting ourselves in other ways and connecting the words of a tribe to recognize each other.”
Embracing Innovation Through Cultural Identity
Joselo Rangel, a founding member of the iconic Mexican rock band Café Tacvba, shared insights into the band’s formative years in the 1980s. He recalled a period when young musicians initially felt compelled to express themselves in English, but ultimately found greater artistic freedom by turning inward and exploring their own cultural heritage. “The musicians wanted to be Americans, but we turned to look at our culture to see what would come out and thus stop covering ourselves and let what we were doing come out, let it flow,” Rangel explained. This exploration led to a unique fusion of sounds, blending northern music with elements of punk, bolero, and even cybernetic rhythms.
Rangel acknowledged the ongoing challenge of attracting younger generations, but expressed optimism, noting that after 35 years, Café Tacvba continues to find new listeners eager to engage with diverse artistic expressions. He believes this ongoing interest will fuel the creation of even more art tailored to these evolving audiences.
Digital Platforms as Catalysts for Artistic Expression
The influence of digital platforms on contemporary art was another key topic. Spanish poet Gabriel Ventura argued that these platforms serve as a foundation for more daring artistic proposals, allowing creators to harness the “delirium that inhabits the networks” to capture and convey the realities explored in poetry.
“The art that mixes inner thought with everything that comes from the digital is very typical of our time,” Ventura stated. “The great strength of poetry is to create those images that serve to create cracks in reality.” This sentiment underscores the potential for digital tools to not only disseminate art but also to fundamentally shape its creation and meaning.
The event, organized by “Think and Work” in commemoration of “1925-2025. A Century of Thinking and Working,” underscored a vital message: the future of culture depends on the willingness of artists to adapt, innovate, and connect with audiences in meaningful ways.
Text: UdeG Press
Photography: Adriana González
