The Kantian legacy in global art exhibitions

This chapter explores how the legacy of Kantian philosophy continues to haunt the discourse on global art exhibitions and the discipline of art history. It recalls how Enlightenment thought—particularly Kant’s theory of world history—informs the epistemological foundations of modern art history and perpetuates Eurocentric hierarchies under the guise of universalism. While the concept of global art is often framed as inclusive, it frequently reproduces a difference-blind model of equality that marginalizes non-European histories and perspectives. Drawing on James Tully’s critique of Kantian cosmopolitanism, the chapter analyzes how institutional frameworks and curatorial practices in Germany continue to privilege European norms while demanding conformity from artists and curators from the global south. As an alternative, it advocates for a difference-sensitive approach to global art history and curatorial practice—one that affirms cultural plurality and recognizes the active role of Indigenous and non-European artists in shaping modernity. By engaging with the concepts of cosmopolitan thought zones and constellational historiography, the chapter outlines a more just and multidirectional framework for the study of global art—one that resists Enlightenment developmentalism and embraces entangled, plural histories of aesthetic production and critique.