The Artworld Loves Clubhouse – But What’s It Selling?

Just as NFTs try to reinvent an artwork's aura, the audio app thrives in its promise of exclusivity

View this email in your browser Boiler rooms For so many of us, the perpetual lockdowns of COVID-19 have been filled with listless, empty moments, ripe for distraction – enter Clubhouse, the new audio app that organises and streams live conversations to your phone, beloved by Silicon Valley thoughtleaders and artworld hustlers alike. But why exactly has Clubhouse thrived, when all it appears to do is turn podcasts back into broadcast radio? Tech critic Rob Horning explores the peculiar mechanics of exclusivity, clout and urgency that have built the app's hype machine. Why does it always feel like everyone on Clubhouse is selling something? 'What Clubhouse promises is not just information or distraction but that sense of timeliness,' Horning writes, 'moments that can't be duplicated without creating some distance from the original, "real" moment, just as NFTs try to reinvent an exclusive aura for works that are intrinsically duplicable'. Read now © 2021 ArtReview Ltd. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at www.artreview.com or the previous digital magazine website Our mailing address is: ArtReview Ltd. 1 Honduras Street London, England EC1Y 0TH United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.