DISPUTA BENJAMIN - ADORNO DESPRE IMPLICAȚIILE POLITICE ALE ARTEI ÎN EPOCA TEHNICII MODERNE
BENJAMIN – ADORNO DEBATE ON THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ART IN THE AGE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Summary/Abstract: In this paper, I attempt to analyse the Benjamin – Adorno debate on the political implications of the art in the age of modern technology in art, which up to that point, had not had a substantive role on the interpretation and reflection on art. Benjamin’s insights on art have proven to be almost prophetic, to such an extent that the history of the 20th century ideologies did nothing more, as I will argue, than keep this new esthetical potential up to date with the existing political purposes. This ambivalent esthetical potential, triggered by the influence of technology on art – seen both as democratic and revolutionary emancipation, as well as ideological manipulation – achieved a level of success that, probably, not many could have foreseen. For this reason, it is not surprising that Theodor Adorno reacted to this diagnosis and responded to Benjamin’s question emphasizing that the influence of technology on art does not lead to the democratization and expansion of the revolutionary character of masses, but, on the contrary, it leads to a commodity fetishism, and, implicitly, to a new way of propagating ideological interests. In this light, I will point out that the disagreement in views between Benjamin and Adorno on the influence of technology on art can remain valid for forthcoming attempts to debate on the status of art in the current technological era and its connection with ideology.

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