Sylabus
The course is divided into two broad parts: (1) Contemporary art and aesthetic appreciation; (2) Empirical investigation of aesthetic appreciation. In the first part, we shall look into how aesthetic appreciation is questioned by contemporary art practices. One of common descriptions of a recipient’s response to late modern and contemporary art is the feeling of misunderstanding and/ or outrage, which is due to the violation of certain expectations the public have regarding the ontological and epistemological character of the work of art (i.e., what the work is supposed to be and how it is to be experienced and understood), the way the work is supposed to be exhibited, as well as the spectator's attitude and reactions. We will discuss what one can learn from these reactions about the concept of aesthetic appreciation and whether the concept itself has evolved in relation to such artistic practices. In the second part, we shall discuss broader methodological questions related to the investigation of aesthetic appreciation, especially in the interface with empirical or experimental methods.
Three lectures will be delivered by guest speakers: a curator Tereza Stejskalová will give a talk (and a guided tour) at biennale "Matter of Art", Elisabeth Schellekens will present and discuss her paper on aesthetic value of ideas, and Isidora Stojanovic will talk about her research into aesthetic adjectives. A detailed schedule of lectures will be provided at the introductory lecture.
WORKPLAN (may be subject to change)
Workplan
October 8
LECTURE ONLINE
Introduction to the course. A discussion of the course plan, reading list, and requirements.
October 15 -
Excursion - meeting at the entrance to the Prague City Gallery at the Municipal Library - CANCELLED. If possible, visit the exhibition on your own.
An online talk with a curator Tereza Stejskalová: Biennale "Matter of Art"
October 22
LECTURE ONLINE
How are our appreciative practices shaped and/ or reflected by contemporary arts?
READING REQUIRED:
Irvin, Sherri (2019): Authenticity, Misunderstanding, and Institutional Responsibility in Contemporary Art. British Journal of Aesthtetics 59, 3, 273 - 288.
October 29
CANCELLED
November 5
GUEST LECTURE ONLINE
Elisabeth Schellekens
READING REQUIRED
Schellekens, Elisabeth (2007): Aesthetic Value of Ideas. In Peter Goldie and Elisabeth Schellekens (eds.), Philosophy and Conceptual Art. Oxford University Press, 71 - 91.
November 12
November 19
LECTURE ONLINE
Cultural changes and aesthetic appreciation
READING REQUIRED:
Lopes, Dominic (2018): Shikinen Sengu: The Ontology of Architecture in Japan. In Aesthetics on the Edge. Where Philosophy Meets the Human Sciences. Oxford University Press, 61-76.
November 26
LECTURE ONLINE
Aesthetic appretiation and embodiment
READING REQUIRED:
Korsmeyer, Carolyn (2019): A Tour of the Senses. British Journal of Aesthetics 59, 4, 357–371.
December 3
LECTURE ONLINE
Aesthetic appreciation in empirical sciences
READING REQUIRED:
Meskin, Aaron - Phelan, Mark - Moore, Margaret - Kieran, Matthew (2013): Mere Exposure to Bad Art. British Journal of Aesthetics 53, 2, 139-164.
December 10
GUEST LECTURE ONLINE
Isidora Stojanovič
READING REQUIRED:
Stojanovic, Isidora (2019): An Empirical Approach to Aesthetic Adjectives. In Florian Cova and Sébastien Réhault (Eds.): Advances in Experimental Philosophy of Aesthetics. London: Bloomsbury, 221 - 241.
December 17
LECTURE ONLINE
Summary, final discussion.
Anotace
The course focuses on aesthetics of the 21st century in the predominantly English-speaking world. It covers a selection of discussions related to methodological as well as theoretical issues surrounding the concept of aesthetic appreciation. The questions we shall ask include: What challenges, artistic as well as non-artistic ones, do modify (the concept of) aesthetic appreciation? Are there any new methods that are being used to investigate aesthetic appreciation nowadays? And has aesthetics anything substantial to offer to current research of the human mind?
The course will be partly delivered by guest speakers who will present promising avenues of research shaping the current philosophical aesthetics. All lectures and class discussions are held in English. The course is delivered online.