Identifying Contemporary Art

When it comes to contemporary art, one common question is how we can recognize an artwork today. This leads to other related inquiries, such as who decides this, why, and according to what rules. Again, who and how are responsible for giving voice, space, and time to some creative expressions over others?

Jeff Koons Balloon Dog in Contemporary Art gallery. Via Masterworks

By posing these questions, we delve into a discussion about contemporary art and the criteria used to identify it.

Let's start by defining what contemporary art is. It comprises artistic movements that have emerged and evolved from the early twentieth century to the present. Examples include Dadaism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Conceptual art. Contemporary art is distinguished by works created using various techniques and languages, including painting, sculpture, drawing, video art, photography, digital art, music, installations, and more. It all began with the legendary artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), who redefined the concept of art as both a mental representation and a common object repurposed with a new function. Thanks to him, we also have the idea that art can be made from anything by anyone.

Today, these characteristics often make it challenging to distinguish when we are in front of an artwork. One of the first key parameters to assist us is the evaluation process by experts like art critics, curators, symbol scholars, art historians, and philosophers. They try to determine if an artwork is just that because it exhibits a pure intuition that sparks the imagination or if it should be classified as "artistic" because it follows a broader system of value schemes that requires logical understanding.

Many scholars believe that personal intuition alone should be the standard for judging art. This implies that an artwork is recognized as such immediately by the observer. In this scenario, the evaluation is subjective and defies a rational framework that could prove such "goodness." According to this view, the work possesses an inherent artistic value, understandable on its own, leaving critics with nothing to do but acknowledge this value automatically without needing to explain why to the public.

Conversely, another group of scholars argues that defining what constitutes a "work of art" involves a broad system of logical and qualitative criteria rooted in the values of the historical period when the work was created. It's crucial to remember that the concept of "art" has evolved significantly over centuries, keeping pace with history. Thus, recognizing an artwork depends on shifting parameters that also reflect the social, cultural, geographical, and political context of a particular community.

For instance, while public works determined an artist's success in ancient times, thereby qualifying their creations as artistic, today a work and its creator gain recognition through originality—something not seen before. Yet, this is not sufficient; the originality must also draw a wide audience and convey a thought-provoking message, often touching on contemporary issues, to truly resonate with the public.

Moreover, today's art reality includes another crucial factor: the market. The art market plays a decisive role in defining what is considered a work of art, influencing its value, visibility, and accessibility to the public. It selects works with strong, impactful messages that can reach a broad audience.

In summary, the definition of contemporary art continues to evolve, and the criteria for qualifying something as artistic arise from a complex and ongoing dialogue among artists, curators, critics, the market, and the public.

Identifying contemporary art remains a contentious and intricate subject, but we can pinpoint fundamental parameters that guide us. These include the artists' own explanations of their work, the expert evaluations by critics and curators, the influential decisions of the art market, and, significantly, the public's active engagement in defining art through their reactions and discussions.

In conclusion, we recognize a contemporary work of art when faced with a creation, object, or performance that embodies not only material value but also the artist's ideas and the assessments of experts, delivering a powerful, clear message. If this message sparks public debate or reflection on the work's merits, we are already on the path to understanding art.

When this dialogue extends beyond the external and resonates within us, we have truly identified a work of art.