Why traditional spaces ignore internet-born artists — and what’s coming next.

Walk into most galleries today, and you’ll still see the same things: painting, sculpture, photography. Maybe the occasional video piece if you’re lucky. Meanwhile, entire generations of artists are building their practices online — pushing boundaries with motion design, 3D worlds, memes, digital collage, experimental tools and tech — and barely getting a seat at the table. The reality? The traditional art world isn’t built for digital creatives. It never was.

Galleries Still Worship Traditional Media

There’s an unspoken hierarchy in most institutions.

Work on canvas? Respected. Bronze sculpture? Celebrated. Digital visuals rendered in Blender or a TikTok animation loop? Often dismissed as side projects, or worse — not seen as “real” art at all. This isn’t just outdated — it’s exclusionary. It sidelines a huge wave of creators who live and work online. Creators who are pioneering new forms of storytelling, commentary, and expression using tools the art world barely acknowledges.

Institutions Don’t Know What to Do With Internet-Born Artists

Grant applications still ask you to list your exhibitions, residencies, and solo shows.

But what if your work lives on Tumblr threads, Discord servers, or experimental web platforms? What if you built your portfolio through collaboration, remix culture, or niche internet communities? The systems that support “emerging artists” are often designed to serve a very narrow definition of art — and that leaves out the voices who are doing the most exciting work today.

Social Media Exploits Creatives, But Doesn’t Uplift Them

For many digital artists, platforms like Instagram and TikTok became the default gallery space. But they’re not built to support creative growth — they’re built to extract attention. Your work becomes content. You get views, maybe even virality. But what comes after? No real infrastructure. No lasting support. No career development.

It’s performance without progression — and it’s exhausting.

Digital Artists Have No Real Infrastructure

Unlike traditional artists, digital creatives often have no one to represent them. No serious gallery system. No accessible curators who understand their medium. No network of peers to collaborate with — at least, not one that feels stable or supportive.Just algorithms. And a sense that you have to fight to prove your work counts. But we believe something better is possible.

That’s Why We Built Lylac

The internet is full of artists. Millions of them. And for years, no one built them a proper home. Lylac exists to change that.

We’re creating a platform that welcomes all creative practices — from painters and photographers to meme-makers, digital designers, and creative technologists.

We believe traditional and digital skills should hold equal value. We believe the next generation of art won’t exist in a single medium or format — it’ll be hybrid, collaborative, tech-infused, experimental, and evolving. And we believe artists deserve a space that reflects that future.

You Shouldn’t Have to Change Your Practice to Fit the Industry

Your art matters — in whatever form it takes. You shouldn’t have to mold it into something “acceptable” to be seen, respected, or supported. You shouldn’t have to choose between creative freedom and professional growth. That’s why we’re building Lylac differently.

It’s not just another app — it’s an ecosystem. One where you can find collaborators, be part of a wider creative network, and access opportunities that actually align with the way you work. Whether you're a digital-first creative or working across disciplines, Lylac is for you.

A new era of art is unfolding. And it doesn’t look like the old one. It’s more chaotic, more fluid, more exciting — and it deserves a home.