Artwashing

Artwashing describes the use of art and artists in a positive way to distract from or legitimize negative actions by an individual, organization, country, or government—especially in reference to gentrification.[1][2]

Etymology

With a structure similar to terms such as greenwashing, pinkwashing, and purplewashing, it is a portmanteau of the words "art" and "whitewashing". The term was coined in the 2017 protests against gentrification in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.[3][4][5][6]

References

1. O'Sullivan, Ferguson (June 24, 2014). "The Pernicious Realities of 'Artwashing'". Bloomberg.
2. "From the MoMA expansion to 'artwashing' ill-gotten wealth: the major museum moments of 2019". www.theartnewspaper.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
3. Dalley, Jan (August 17, 2018). "Why artwashing is a dirty word". www.ft.com. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
4. "Art & Gentrification: What is "Artwashing" and What Are Galleries Doing to Resist It?". Artspace. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
5. "Artwashing: the new watchword for anti-gentrification protesters". the Guardian. July 18, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
6. "Gentrification-What Do We Know?". Amplify Arts. Retrieved June 13, 2021.