In a world where algorithms dictate trends and art is translated into pixels, digital colonialism emerges as the new face of old habits. Beneath the promising glow of global technologies, local and Indigenous cultures face a subtle yet persistent erasure. Is digitalization the promise of democratization, or just a recycled version of ancient power dynamics?
One doesn’t need to dig deep to uncover contradictions. Under the banner of “universality,” digital platforms centralize content that echoes Western perspectives, while Indigenous artistic expressions are diluted, decontextualized, or, worse, appropriated. Take, for instance, the Maori Ta Moko. This deeply spiritual practice that shapes identities has long been reduced to mere “exotic designs” in digital showcases.
Technology, so often celebrated for connecting the world, also builds invisible walls. Economically advanced nations’ dominance of digital tools marginalizes local artists, curbing their reach and stifling their creative autonomy. The promise of an “inclusive digital space” is ironically betrayed by algorithms prioritizing the familiar — and the profitable.
In this context, digital cultural appropriation is not an accident but a rule. Artistic elements from Indigenous communities, stripped of their narratives and original values, become highly marketable products. “Profit with purpose” rings hollow when those who originated these expressions remain on the margins, mere spectators of their creative dispossession.
Yet digital colonialism goes beyond cultural exploitation. It also imposes cognitive violence: a Western hegemonic mindset dictating what is relevant, beautiful, or meaningful. Simultaneously, global corporations extract and control cultural data, deepening existing inequalities.
How can this cycle be broken? The answer might lie in digital disruption — a movement that challenges dominant structures, reclaims narratives, and values local contexts. Artists can transform digitized colonial archives into political and cultural statements, manipulating the past to reclaim the future. Furthermore, decentralizing technological control and fostering truly equitable dialogues are essential.
Digital colonialism reflects a technology imbued with the marks of its creators. By recognizing and confronting its contradictions, digital art can abandon the perpetuation of historical inequalities and finally deliver on its promise to be a truly global and inclusive space for expression.
Victor T. Murari
Art History, Education & Artificial Intelligence | PhD | Advancing Educational and Cultural Narratives through AI Integration