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In Remodel[l]ing
Reality (Package Do not Erase...) I made the claim that the
ultimate purpose of art and philosophy is to enrich ourselves and
the world. This point of view emphasises the belief that humans
have the capacity to deepen the
awareness of who they are, what place they occupy in the world and
what meaning they assign to themselves in their individual lives.
The tools for enrichment are experience and reflection. In
the course of life we collect and carry with us in our backpack
all sorts of experiences, memories, emotions, and feelings. Turned
into stories about ourselves and the world we are living in, these
testimonials function as a means to establish the continuity of
our identity in the world.
At the bottom of our backpack, deep down in some corner, we can
find the warden with the keys. With the help of our warden, we are
able to bring back the insights we have gained from
experience and reflection into the world again 'anew'
in order to enrich this world for ourselves and future
generations. |
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Central
questions of epistemology - concerning truth, reason and objectivity
as they pertain to testimony - are investigated artistically,
whereas distinctive features of art - ambiguity, visuality and
subjectivity - are subjected to epistemological enquiry. And a third
party is taken into consideration: the audience with its social and
political dynamics. The relation between artist and audience shows
itself in the discussions, reviews and trade, as the work of art
challenges (particular) community values in bringing them to the
audience's consciousness. In the (re)evaluation of values by the
artist, the audience is persuaded to think them over again. In the
(re)evaluation of values by the audience, the artist is able to
(re)consider her role and reflect on her position within the
community.
The inquiry into this dynamics is meant to frame in what ways this
interdependence influences the development of the art of
installation and, philosophically, how the connection between art
and philosophy can explore the ways in which art might convey
knowledge. |
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