Action-Oriented Perception: Two Case Studies from Contemporary Slovak Art
Action-Oriented Perception: Two Case Studies from Contemporary Slovak Art

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the concept of action-oriented perception in contemporary art through two examples from the Slovak context. Drawing on Ladislav Kesner’s theoretical framework, it understands seeing as an embodied, active process rather than a purely visual or cognitive one. Kesner challenges the Cartesian mind–body divide, emphasizing that image perception involves perceptual-motor processes that prepare the viewer for action. Artworks thus function as stimuli that activate bodily responses, spatial orientation, and physical empathy. The study is grounded in broader reflections on corporeality in art and philosophy, including phenomenology and the concept of embodied knowledge. It also addresses historical shifts in the understanding of the body, highlighting its growing recognition as central to perception and experience. These ideas are examined through two case studies of contemporary Slovak artists. Ľudmila Hrachovinová’s installations combine painting with spatial elements that encourage viewers to sit, lie down, or otherwise physically engage, turning viewing into a participatory act. Juraj Gábor’s large-scale architectural interventions, situated in landscapes or built environments, require visitors to enter, climb, or traverse them. Both approaches demonstrate how contemporary art transforms vision into a dynamic, embodied experience in which perception and action are inseparably intertwined.

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