i’m sure this is so last century, but i’ve recently been hearing stacks about relational aesthetics and i’m intrigued! i guess i took it for granted that people create ‘political’ work, work that relates to their particular situation and circumstance in a meaningful and informative way, and encourages some kind of discussion about that idea, circumstance, etc. but now it seems that there’s a real ‘movement’ of it now. (that all sounds very cynical, but it’s not meant to, honest!)
in reading about artists that have been linked with this idea (those in the T’fouh exhibition, Zanny Begg, Lucas Ihlein, Art Interactive), i have wished that i was one of those artists. i’m generally an outspoken and political person, and when i see artwork, i like seeing works that are responsive to specific things, work that encourages me (and hopefully others) to participate in something other than reality tv.
unfortunately, i’m not one of those artists and it’s kinda got me bummed. i’m having to realise that i’m a daggy, conceptual artist that wants you to think about the human species as a whole, rather than relate to a particular group, event, idea. so last century.
Relational Aesthetics
Aesthetic theory consisting in judging artworks on the basis of the inter-human relations which they represent, produce or prompt.
BOURRIAUD – RELATIONAL AESTHETICS – GLOSSARY
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