Who actually decides what we like today – the artist in the studio, the curator in the gallery, or the invisible code of the recommending systems? In Bulgaria, this question is no longer abstract, but very concrete: from the music on TikTok to the paintings on Instagram and our style of dress, the choice is increasingly made through "like", "share" and "follow".
The algorithms of the big platforms arrange our "windows" – videos, carousels of photos, playlists – so as to keep our attention for as long as possible. They analyze how long we watch a given video, which photos we stop at, which clips we scroll through and what exactly makes us come back again. As a result, patterns of behavior are turning into a model for taste: what we see most often gradually begins to look like "normal".
Bulgarian youths spend an average of several hours a day on social networks, and for a large part of them, it is the platforms that become the main place for information and entertainment. Instead of asking what's in the program of the city gallery or which new author is publishing a book, they more often ask the algorithm – by swiping, searching by hashtag or watching trends. This also changes the market itself of culture: visibility often turns out to be more important than content.
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram demonstratively show the power of algorithms to create hits. A song may go almost unnoticed on the radio, but become a mass phenomenon after being "picked up" by several popular profiles and falling into the right stream of recommended content. Dance challenges, short formats and easy-to-remember phrases turn music into a visual trend, rather than an independent work.
A similar process is observed in art. Artists, photographers and designers admit that they think about "likes" and algorithms even before publishing a new work. The vertical format, bright colors and clear composition turn out to be more "working" than the complex, multi-layered image, which requires time and attention. This forms a new kind of self-censorship: the authors limit the experiment so as not to lose their audience.
Of course, art has not disappeared from physical spaces. Galleries, festivals, theaters and music clubs in Bulgaria continue to be living places where taste is formed in the old way – through a live meeting, conversation, debate, criticism. Curators select programs, publishers take risks with new names, event organizers seek a balance between commercial and experimental.
This "offline" scene, however, is increasingly seen through the prism of online presence. A successful event is inevitably the one that has been "seen" on social networks, for which there are photos, stories, reels. A performance can be completely sold out if it falls into the right combination of hashtags and recommendations, while another – even artistically stronger – remains in the periphery because it is not "algorithmically convenient".
Some Bulgarian artists accept this as a challenge. They use algorithms as a tool – they experiment with formats, make "behind-the-scenes" videos, turn the creative process into a story that can be followed in real time. In this way, the audience not only "consumes", but also empathizes, and art gets a chance to reach people who would never enter a gallery.
Others remain skeptical and warn that "the algorithm is not an audience". It does not ask questions, does not enter into a debate, does not develop taste – it simply optimizes for engagement. According to them, when we let the recommending systems decide what we see, we risk staying in a "bubble" in which everything is pleasant, familiar and easy to digest. And true art often does the opposite – it takes us out of our comfort zone, creates discomfort, asks difficult questions.
"The algorithm gives you what you want at the moment. Art often gives you something you don't yet know you need," say gallery owners and cultural managers who work with young audiences. According to them, the task of living cultural institutions in Bulgaria is increasingly becoming not only to show works, but also to educate the audience how to watch, listen and read critically.
The generational line is also clearly visible. For some of the older Bulgarians, taste is shaped by books, television, theater and traditional media. The younger ones are dominated by social networks, streaming platforms and influencers, who not only recommend products, but also play the role of informal "cultural leaders". Thus, the role of the classic critic, who writes reviews and analyzes, competes with a short video opinion, which gains hundreds of thousands of views.
The question is not whether algorithms are "good" or "bad", but how to coexist with art without turning it into a commodity, measured solely in views and reactions. Experts in digital policies remind us that behind every algorithm are people – engineers, marketers, platform owners – and their goals. When the only goal is the user's attention, the most predictable and easy forms of content are inevitably stimulated.
Digital literacy is increasingly being talked about as part of cultural taste. It is not enough to know the names of artists and directors – we also need to understand how the recommending systems work, what "personalized" suggestions mean, how trends are created. Only then can the user take a step back and ask himself the question: is what I see my decision, or has someone made it for me.
In Bulgaria, there is still room for balance. The real "fashion verdict" for taste will probably not be delivered either by a single work or by a single algorithm. It will be decided every day – in the choice of what to watch, what to share, what to talk about and, above all, what to look for outside the screen. Because while algorithms can arrange content, the ability to change our taste – and to stand up for it – still remains in the hands of the people.