In one of the chapters of his book Fractured Times: Culture and Society in the Twentieth Century, historian Eric Hobsbawm—while talking about his unusual areas of interest, which span across art, literature, music and cinema festivals—discusses the importance of holding festivals in the 21st century. Hobsbawm stresses that we should not mistake the inquiry of ‘Why hold festivals in the twenty-first century?’ with that of ‘Do festivals have a future in the twenty-first century?’ Festivals, biennials, and triennials have become a common sight in many places, and they are not just a way to showcase culture, but also to boost the economy of the cities or states they take place in and bring art and culture to unexplored locales that far outstretch the boundaries of modernist art.
Therefore, the future of festivals and the public experience of art and culture is not an issue to worry about. Rather than just dwelling on what kind of spaces will exist, we need to think about the type of cultural forms and expressions that will be found in them, and who these cultures will be accessible to. In light of the rapid global spread of cultural nationalism, can festivals like these provide new ways to form more sensitive communities? As art strives towards social relevance, it is faced with a daunting predicament—to remain autonomous or succumb to the pressure of community-building exercises dictated by public expectations. How will this struggle be reconciled in festival contexts? Will art be able to find a balance between its core values and the collective aspirations of society?
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