It was once critics who helped shape cultural values – spotting a trend here, putting a scene on the map there – but now the process is driven by metrics. Context, the land of the artist and the critic, has been determined valueless (unless algorithmic) by the mainstream, which honestly never much cared for it to begin with.

A thoughtful piece on art and criticism that’s surprisingly hopeful in the face of change by Yancey Strickler.