Critical and Curatorial Positions

Globalization and advancements in technology are factors to relational art. At a time when social relations appear to be existing more on the computer and Internet communities such as myspace, facebook, email, etc. than real life social interaction, relational artists force participants to reengage with social relations through works which are based on present social conditions. When we say works, I am not sure I am using the correct term for relational art. This is because relational art is built around an interstice and not about the creation of an object of aura. Instead, subjectivity is used not create an art piece of aesthetic splendor but with the hopes of enriching social relationships with the world. But the aesthetic splendor is not used within the for of the object to promote a better functioning of society. Aesthetics are played out socially to remove the isolation and hierarchy between the artist and the viewer. For too long, the artist has been working in isolation and the viewer has viewed art without the presence of the artist. Can the aura of art objects be a result of the invisibility of the artist? Relational Art also appears to be the desire of Utopia, or the Other. But as we learn from the text "What is a station?", Utopia is a meeting place in which people are socially engaged through meetings and exchanges. Although Nesbit states technology is a small factor in utopia, I think technology plays a major part as a "way-station." Where else in the world can people meet and gather in a no-place to determine what is missing from present society/culture? In the end of the book, we are left to question whether collaboration and participation actually helps to promote discursivity and sociability as a practice? Although social art is supposedly about the everyday, the artist still takes the stand on social issues which forces the viewer to subjected to the artists' intentions. It appears that the artist might be directing the participation by the viewer which does not work in a lateral hierarchy. It seems to me the hardest part of social art might be the creation of an equal status between artist(s) and the viewer(s)/participant(s). In the end, art still takes a stand on the artist must defend the legendary ATC question: What/Where/Who/How/Why is the Art........?:)