The Groove 230 - Post-Instagram Art: What Comes After the Grid?
Welcome to the 230th issue of The Groove.
I am Maria Brito, an art advisor, curator, and author based in New York City.
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POST-INSTAGRAM ART: WHAT COMES AFTER THE GRID?
Instagram changed everything 14 years ago when it launched.
Not just for art but for how we see, connect, and consume the world. It revolutionized fashion, travel, food, relationships.
The art world was one of its earliest adopters. For over a decade, it’s been the most powerful tool for visibility in the art ecosystem. It gave artists a direct line to audiences, helped collectors discover new talent, and turned dealers and advisors into thought leaders. The platform flattened hierarchies. If you had great work and something to say, you could build an audience with no gallery or gatekeeper required.
Instagram wasn’t just a marketing tool. For many, it was the career engine. For me, personally, it has been an invaluable platform, and for that I am so grateful.
Instagram Still Works… Kinda
Today, Instagram is still relevant and still where the most active collectors, dealers, and advisors spend time. It’s where research begins, where curators scout, where art fairs tease their booths, and where artists test new directions. For artists who want a traditional gallery and museum careers, there’s still no better digital space to present your work clearly and beautifully.
But the way people use Instagram is changing. Growth is slower. Attention is fragmented. A feed that once felt alive now feels algorithmic, repetitive, and strangely quiet. More people are watching instead of interacting. DMs are replacing comments. Reels are replacing static posts. And that old sense of “discovery” has started to fade. The energy is still there, but it’s shifting beneath the surface.
So Where’s the Momentum Moving?
This isn’t about ditching Instagram, it’s about recognizing that many artists, collectors, and advisors are now layering their strategies.
Artists are having more in-person conversations before they ever post new work. And some dealers are recommending clients not post certain acquisitions and to “keep them off the grid” to protect their value.
It’s not about abandoning visibility but about being more intentional with it.
In a world oversaturated with images, scarcity is powerful.
Curation is power. So is discretion.
The smartest people in the game are still using Instagram, they’re just no longer relying on it to do all the work.
Post-Instagram Doesn’t Mean Anti-Instagram
Let’s be clear: there’s no “death” of Instagram. At least not yet.
It’s still the best digital portfolio out there. It still builds connections. And it’s still a lifeline for emerging artists, especially those outside major cities or gallery systems.
But it no longer guarantees momentum the way it once did. For artists, that means diversifying how they share work.
For collectors, it means going deeper, beyond what’s trending, beyond who has the best grid.
And for everyone else, it means remembering that attention doesn’t always equal value.
Sometimes the best things aren’t on social media at all.
Beyond the Grid
We don’t need to cancel Instagram; we just need to stop treating it like it’s the entire ecosystem.
Art deserves a richer context than 1080x1350 pixels. It deserves conversation, reflection, and space.
So what comes after the grid?
Not a new app.
Not a new algorithm.
But a new mindset: More curation. More slowness. More substance.
Because sometimes the best move is not another post. It’s a private preview, a thoughtful exchange, a studio visit. And by all means, showing up in real life.