What is Art?

“A kind of representation that is purposive in itself and, though without an end, nevertheless promotes the cultivation of the mental powers for sociable communication.”

Immanuel Kant, Critique of Judgment, 1790

What is Art?

“A work of art is an artifact of a kind created to be presented to an artworld public.

An artist is a person who participates with understanding in the making of a work of art.

A public is a set of persons the members of which are prepared in some degree to understand an object which is presented to them.

The artworld is the totality of all artworld systems.

An artworld system is a framework for the presentation of a work of art by an artist to an artworld public.”

The institutional Theory of Art,1969 -1997, George Dickie.

What is Art?

Select one or two of the projects shown today and discuss:

1. Why/how are they art?2. Why/how are they not art?3. What definition of art would include these projects?4. What definition of art would exclude these projects? 5. How do you define art? 6. What do you believe is a necessary condition for something to be art?7. Why is it important to define what art is? Why not?

NETWORK (2)Definition of ‘network’: System of interconnected

components.

1. Mapping Networks2. Hacking Networks3. Making Networks - Collaboration/Curation

Mapping Networks

They Rule, Josh On (2001-2004)

Shredder, Mark Napier (1998)

Feed, Mark Napier (2001)

Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin: Listening Post (2001-2002)

Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin: Listening Post (2001-2002)

Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin: Listening Post (2001-2002)

Hacking Networks

The Zapatista Tactical FloodNet, Electronic Disturbance Theatre (1999)

Biennale.py, 0100101110101101.ORG (2001)

Life Sharing, 2000-2003, Walker Art Center, by 0100101110101101.ORG (Eva and Franco Mattes)

Re-Code, The Conglomco Media Network (2003)

Double Happiness Manufacturing

Jeff Crouse and Stephanie Rothenberg (2007)

Shaved Bieber, Greg Leuch (2010)

Making Networks -Collaboration and Curation

Desktop Is, Alexei Shulgin (1999)

Carnivore, Radical Software Group et al (2001)

Police State by Jonah Brucker-Cohen (2003) YouTube

Add Art

Steve Lambert et al (2008->)

9 Eyes, Jon Rafman (2009)

What is Art?

Select one or two of the projects shown today and discuss:

1. Why/how are they art?2. Why/how are they not art?3. What definition of art would include these projects?4. What definition of art would exclude these projects? 5. How do you define art? 6. What do you believe is a necessary condition for something to be art?7. Why is it important to define what art is? Why not?