This study reconfigures museum visitors’ art experience in the digital age through a transdisciplinary analysis based on digital ethnography, media phenomenology, and affect theory. Through...Show moreThis study reconfigures museum visitors’ art experience in the digital age through a transdisciplinary analysis based on digital ethnography, media phenomenology, and affect theory. Through interviewing visitors of the Nxt Museum, Amsterdam, this thesis investigates the ways in which persons engage with and are present in front of the hypermediated installation art in the exhibition Unidentified Fluid Other (June 2022–September 2023). The immersive and spatial qualities of the installations retain an enticing quality that are a popular photographic motif for visitors and designate the institution as a heterotopic environment. Moreover, the installations possess an alluring aesthetics of hypermediation that provokes profound, embodied and affective sensations in their viewers. Instagram usage and smartphone photography hereby significantly reshape and restructure visitors’ attention and behavior in the gallery space, resulting in a remediation of their embodied experiences via the hand-held device that oscillates between a desire for immediacy and profuse hypermediation. In renegotiating their sense of presence and sense of selves in the art experience, visitors resort to a dual engagement with the installations whereby they actively experience the art with and without their phones. This research therefore identifies smartphone photography as an additional trajectory in the contemporary museum experience, as an extension of the visitors’ selves. The effects of smartphone remediation on embodied affectivity and presence of visitors in art spaces thus retain beneficial qualities which may inform cultural institutions and art historical research at large.Show less
This MA thesis explores the relationship between human experience, the interface theory of perception, and consciousness through the artistic project Listening Space. The project, conducted by...Show moreThis MA thesis explores the relationship between human experience, the interface theory of perception, and consciousness through the artistic project Listening Space. The project, conducted by Afroditi Psarra and Audrey Briot, involves intercepting and decoding NOAA weather satellite audiovisual transmissions using a DIY satellite tracking station and a weaving machine. This research employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from art history, neuroscience, philosophy, and physics, to investigate two dimensions of the human experience: the physical and the metaphysical. The first chapter focuses on the human physical experience, utilizing the reversed engineered methodology of Erwin Panofsky and iconographic analysis to explore the symbolic values and meaning of artworks. It examines the ecologies of Listening Space, such as human-centered computing, interface design prototyping, environmental sciences, information visualization, binaries, and weaving, in relation to Donald Hoffman's interface theory of perception. This chapter tests the extent to which Listening Space illuminates the physical human experience against Hoffman's theory. The second chapter delves into the metaphysical human experience and its connection to idealistic philosophical theories by Wayne M. McDonnell, Itzhak Bentov, and Bernardo Kastrup. It explores consciousness, space-time, energy, vibration, frequency, and the limitations of Hoffman's theory. Through an analysis of Listening Space's ecologies, the chapter investigates how the project can shed light on the metaphysical human experience and its relationship with idealistic perspectives. The research findings reveal that Listening Space effectively merges technology and artistic exploration, transforming invisible transmissions into tangible representations. It serves as a platform to explore the metaphysical human experience, highlighting cosmic consciousness. Overall, this research demonstrates the potential of art, specifically Listening Space, to provide deeper insights into the human experience and the realities beyond. The project's ecologies align with philosophical theories on consciousness and propose a way of metaphorically portraying the human brain as a fractal antenna. By intertwining theoretical concepts with Listening Space, this study tries to enrich our understanding of the physical and metaphysical dimensions of human existence and invites contemplation of universal consciousness.Show less
The Museum of Arts of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) devoted years to exhibiting and representing histories and narratives through its mission of plurality and inclusion. The exhibition...Show moreThe Museum of Arts of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) devoted years to exhibiting and representing histories and narratives through its mission of plurality and inclusion. The exhibition Histórias Feministas: artistas depois de 2000 symbolises the museum’s mission not only by dedicating an entire exhibition to feminisms, but also for its curatorial practice. This research analyses the case study through the frameworks of decolonialism, curatorial activism, empathic inclusion and feminisms in order to demonstrate to what extent can a decolonial curatorial practice affect the inclusion of different cultural backgrounds in contemporary curating. Analysing also the best methods of fomenting the development of decolonial curating, as well as disclosing the relevance of a decolonial curatorial practice, this thesis challenges the traditional institution of arts towards a plural and intercultural contemporary curating.Show less
Memories play a significant role when forming an individual's sense of identity and understanding of past events. Even though memories are normally associated with lived personal and shared...Show moreMemories play a significant role when forming an individual's sense of identity and understanding of past events. Even though memories are normally associated with lived personal and shared collective experiences, certain memories do not fall under such categorizations. The concept of postmemory, introduced by literary scholar Marianne Hirsch, aims to describe the inheritance of memories and trauma that are not experienced by the individuals themselves. Instead, acquired through stories and images shared by the previous generations, these experiences are passed on, thus eventually becoming part of people's identities. This research focuses on addressing the extent to which the use of postmemory provides new interpretative insights regarding the depiction of memories and trauma in the works of Australian-Latvian artist Imants Tillers (1950). By basing the theoretical framework in the fields of art history and memory studies, this thesis reveals how postmemory can be recognized in Tillers' conceptual project The Book of Power (1981-present) and what are some of the interpretative possibilities this concept can offer in visual analysis. The analyses concentrate on the large-scale paintings Farewell to Reason (1996), Monaro (1998), Terra Negata (2005), and Tabula Rasa (For My Father) (2011) that provide fruitful grounds for recognizing manifestations of intergenerational and transgenerational postmemory in these artworks.Show less
This research discusses an in-depth analysis of the novel entertainment-based institutions coined as Instagram Museums, in terms of the aesthetic art experiences and play driven interactions that...Show moreThis research discusses an in-depth analysis of the novel entertainment-based institutions coined as Instagram Museums, in terms of the aesthetic art experiences and play driven interactions that they provide. By differentiating between two distinct types of Instagram Museums, the gallery-like and the museum-like, the analysis is led through two case studies, the Museum of Ice Cream and the Museum Voorlinden. While these institutions have a strong social media component shaping their exhibitions, they use separate business models based on the contrasting cultural status retained. Most importantly this includes original approaches to the experience obtained within the space by growing visitor engagement both through the aesthetic appeal and the participatory nature of the exhibits. Instagram Museums aim to provide entertaining experiences that can be beautifully captured with a phone and become Instagram bait, bringing in increasingly more visitors. In doing so, the spaces feature installations that offer high levels of immersion and interactivity, turning the often passive engagement encountered in traditional museums into veritable acts of play. By bringing in some online conducted interviews alongside the theoretical analysis of the topics, this thesis argues for the reconfiguration of the (traditional) museum experience through the construction of more aesthetically appealing interactive encounters.Show less
As a result of globalization, ever-intensifying migration and rampant populism, the mediatic and governmental response to migrants is a damning one in many parts of Europe. This research...Show moreAs a result of globalization, ever-intensifying migration and rampant populism, the mediatic and governmental response to migrants is a damning one in many parts of Europe. This research investigates how the artistic-anthropological projects of Leone Contini craft a counter-discourse of migration. Dealing mostly but not exclusively with Chinese migrants in Italy, it explores how the invasive/native antithesis is constantly being deconstructed by the art, both in relation to both vegetation and humans. To do so, it uses a discourse analysis methodology to survey the use of language but also to show how artistic practices can create discourse. The deconstruction relies on an anthropological approach, where multi-sitedness, complexity, long-term processes and collaboration with the Others are seen as the necessary preconditions. The research concludes by showing how the hybrid, nomadic, unsettled subjectivity of the migrants contaminates the identity of all participants in a generative way.Show less
This thesis reflects on historical and contemporary issues around representational practices and visual politics of creating and displaying refugee subject matter in art. This paper aims to open up...Show moreThis thesis reflects on historical and contemporary issues around representational practices and visual politics of creating and displaying refugee subject matter in art. This paper aims to open up broader discussions about cultural institutions and artists’ responsibilities in producing counter-narratives that service refugees’ perspectives and voices. By doing so, museums and relevant artists can avoid perpetuating existing tropes and ensure that their own agendas are secondary to what the subject of their work (in this case, refugee and asylum seekers) wishes to convey. By means of concrete examples of artists and artwork, the author attempts to bring forth a discussion on the ethical considerations for artists involved in collaborative projects with refugees and asylum seekers by questioning and challenging various frameworks and existing modes of representation within contemporary art discourse. The author proposes different modes of representation that service the ‘protagonist’s’ story first, referring to concepts and practices through which to understand the construction of visual narratives surrounding refugees; thus establishing how these practices can be effective beyond simply making things visible.Show less
De-extinction science is an upcoming scientific practice that aims to bring back extinct animals. The way how people deal with extinction has always been rooted in a particular cultural mindset and...Show moreDe-extinction science is an upcoming scientific practice that aims to bring back extinct animals. The way how people deal with extinction has always been rooted in a particular cultural mindset and therefore shows a reflection of broader cultural ideas and valuations. As resistance to contemporary narratives of demise, de-extinction scientists join their forces to combat the finality of extinction. This study looks into the forces of cultural memory and shows how contemporary artists can expand the episteme of de-extinction science.Show less
Social media holds promise for museums to enhance visitor participation, engagement with potential visitors via participatory communication and in building an online community to which to refer to....Show moreSocial media holds promise for museums to enhance visitor participation, engagement with potential visitors via participatory communication and in building an online community to which to refer to. However, the integration of social media within museums practices, particularly in Italy, has been a rather cautious transition as museums are concerned with the ways social media may deteriorate traditional organizational forms of authority that cultural institutions have held. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the extent to which Italian museums can use social media to engage with a younger audience. In doing so, this study has conducted a case study analysis of Musei Civici Veneziani, by interviewing the web-content manager of the institution. Findings demonstrate that Musei Civici Veneziani continues to use a one-to-one communication model, whereby social media platforms are used solely to inform users about practical matters. The use of a one-to-one communication model, rather than a many-to-many one by Musei Civici Veneziani is due to fear of jeopardizing their role as a cultural authority. However, the present paper aims to showcase the opportunities of adopting a peer-to-peer participatory communication model as a way to effectively engage with younger audiences which allows them to become active members within the museum.Show less
The present environmental crisis has put the public war between current right-wing authoritarian governs and whoever in the world is concerned about the environment in the international spotlight....Show moreThe present environmental crisis has put the public war between current right-wing authoritarian governs and whoever in the world is concerned about the environment in the international spotlight. Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, on June 1, 2017 and the recent refusal of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro to stop the exploitation of Amazon illustrate the emergence of a situation in which the notions of territory and nation-state no longer sustain the reality of our shared planet. The more climate change, global warming and the environmental degradation haunt the Earth’s inhabitants, the more it seems that we break apart the world as if boundaries of exclusion could prevent what is inside from perishing. In this thesis, I argue that, in the core of this issue, dwell precisely our ‘notions’ and ‘concepts’—enclosed in the huge monolith of Western modern thinking. To confront the planetary crisis, one needs a new strategy to access these problems—that would not consist in simply applying a dialectical method of discussion, but instead deploying a multidimensional approach, capable of penetrating that Western bloc from all sides. By taking on the notion of networks—whether informatic, political and biological—I critically analyse this concept and introduce the framework of the ‘swarm’ that I used in my own artistic practice as a way to allow a multiplicity of viewpoints. The art project Game of Swarms, which explores mainly the fact that the individuals of swarms work together without a locus of control, provokes the audience to rethink our current political structures and use the narrative of the game to imagine new forms of making politics and a new way to think our relation to the world. The biological self-organised model of swarms comes as a tool to create new narratives to face today’s planetary crisis and foster a more sustainable way of thinking.Show less
In the last two to three decades, throughout the world, urban and architectural spaces have been losing their identities over cities, driven mainly by commercial and economic interests....Show moreIn the last two to three decades, throughout the world, urban and architectural spaces have been losing their identities over cities, driven mainly by commercial and economic interests. Nevertheless, a number of artists have been escaping from their own traditional sphere of activity and exploring questions about space, the main tool of architects. These artists have been creating innovative hybrid works of art-and-architecture that highlight the singularity of places. Furthermore, they have also been focusing on the spectator’s bodily experiences using a phenomenological approach on their artworks. Recognizing these issues, this research opens discussions on how the adoption of phenomenological aspects in the creative process of art-and-architecture can contribute to an embodied experience through the artist Olafur Eliasson’s constructed work Fjordenhus (2018), in Vejle, Denmark, in partnership with the architect Sebastian Behmann. The main argument is that works embedded in a phenomenological bias can serve as a tool for resuscitation and vitality of architectural spaces in a relationship between architecture, space, and body. This study aims to contribute to the recent debates, concerning the tenuous limit of the interdisciplinary fields of visual art and architecture, with the participation of an artist in the conceptual process of an architectural project.Show less
This thesis examines the role of the environment in the artworks of Dan Graham and Olafur Eliasson in Inhotim Institute of Contemporary Art and Botanical Gardens, in Brazil. This is done from the...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of the environment in the artworks of Dan Graham and Olafur Eliasson in Inhotim Institute of Contemporary Art and Botanical Gardens, in Brazil. This is done from the perspective of Environmental Aesthetics, which is the theoretical frame that allows the consideration of the environment not only as a subject matter for contemporary art. Rather, the important contributions of philosopher Arnold Berleant and Allen Carlson in the field, acknowledge our understanding and engagement with the environment as intrinsic elements of the aesthetic experience. Therefore, this thesis looks not only to the materiality of Dan Graham’s Bisected triangle, Interior curve (2002), and Olafur Eliasson’s Viewing Machine (2001-2003). It also sees the constitution of the relationship between the viewer, the artworks and the environment in Inhotim Institute as constituent parts of how we perceive them. By emphasizing the active relationality in/with the environment, the scope of this research is extended beyond the traditional foundations of aesthetics as, for instance, the idea of the contemplation of a landscape, the subjectivity of the viewer, and the pleasure associated with beauty. Finally, this thesis shows that when perceiving natural environments in relation to art we are invited to enter a space in which our perception is always in movement between our cultural beliefs, the environmental conditions that affect us and the artwork. In engaging in/with the environment in the aesthetic experience, Dan Graham and Olafur Eliasson offer us ways of disrupting our accustomed view, enlarging our experience in the world, and bringing art closer to the everyday life.Show less
