Sharing Thirty-Five Years of Contemporary Art Experience

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang

"Contemporary art is not that difficult; the difficulty lies in it not being so 'easy.'"

"If you cannot find your god in daily life, then you will not be able to find Him anywhere."

Camper - The Aesthetics of Life, published by Lisi Publishing House.

The characteristic of contemporary art is that when discussing what constitutes an artwork, the concept of art has no room for dissent; thus, whether something is an artwork becomes a matter that no one can judge.

Arthur C. Danto, The Abuse of Beauty (Seeing Beauty from Another Perspective), published by Lisi Publishing House, 2008.

Traditional artistic standards have become useless. Everyone knows these unconventional things are different, but few can explain why.

Frankfurt philosopher Adorno wrote: "It is evident that no question related to art remains self-evident; this applies to art's inner life, its relationship with the world, and even its right to exist."

Arthur C. Danto, The Abuse of Beauty (Seeing Beauty from Another Perspective), published by Lisi Publishing House, 2008.

Duchamp: "Anything can become art."

Beuys: "Everyone is an artist."

Signs of modernism.

Art has been thoroughly liberated by rebellious avant-garde art.

Subverting traditional society and politics.

Trampling beauty until its disappearance, acknowledging other possibilities.

Innovation of beauty, revolution of art.

The end of modernism or the collapse of utopia?

Is postmodernism a reaction against modernism, or a consequence of its evolution?

Postmodernism: The redistribution of global power, or the rise of non-Western politics, economy, and autonomous culture.

Postmodernism: The West is no longer (or is) the version of non-Western art.

What are the trends and characteristics of globalized art after postmodernism?

An era of a hundred schools of thought contending or displaying unique splendor. Has contemporary art moved from adventure to consumption?

A panorama of contemporary art under globalization: Globalization localized, localization globalized.

We will broadly interpret the development trends, concepts, and socio-political-economic relationships of contemporary art under globalization. We will analyze how to enter the hall of contemporary art—opening wise eyes to appreciate, taste, and collect. We will introduce France's art system and important contemporary art museums and galleries in Paris and London. Post-class sharing will lead students on a contemporary art journey to Paris and London, facing works directly in contemporary art museums for discussion.