art-washing

A form of artwashing — The use of art and artists in a positive way to distract from or legitimize negative actions by an individual, organization, country, or government, originally in reference to gentrification.

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Meanings

nounart-washing (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of artwashing

    There need to be more cycle lanes and limits to pollution must be adhered to. Politicians can’t just think ‘we’ve shown some pictures’. I’m very conscious of art-washing but we have to bloody well do something, and this is what I do.

    2022 May 18, Patrick Barkham, quoting Dryden Goodwin, “‘I’m very conscious of art-washing but we have to bloody well do something’: the show tackling air pollution”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Cite this entry
APA

art-washing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/art-washing

MLA

“art-washing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/art-washing. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “art-washing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/art-washing.

Source: art-washing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.