Algorithmic Curation: How Instagram and TikTok Are Deciding What Art We See (And What It Means for Artists in 2026)

Split screen comparing algorithm-curated bright colorful artwork exhibition with human-curated contemplative black and white photography exhibition showing different curation approaches

In January 2023, researchers at Oxford University’s Internet Institute conducted a fascinating experiment. They asked Instagram’s algorithm and a human artist—London-based Fabienne Hess—to each curate an exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. Both sorted through thousands of images and selected 20-30 to display in a particular order and layout. The results revealed something […]