The art of failure – the victory of the losers Cover Image

The art of failure – the victory of the losers
The art of failure – the victory of the losers

Author(s): Tomasz Szczepanek
Subject(s): Philosophy, Fine Arts / Performing Arts
Published by: Łódzkie Towarzystwo Naukowe
Keywords: art of failure; end of art; queer

Summary/Abstract: The article describes the phenomenon of the art of failure. Traditional narrative focuses on the experience of winning, while marginalizing everything that is weak, mediocre, lost. The change comes with the end of art understood as a decomposition of the historical structures organizing artistic discourse (cf. Arthur C. Danto, Gianni Vattimo, Jean-Luc Nancy). In the post-historical plurilogue, the art of failure becomes a means of expression of the groups which have been traditionally excluded (Judith Halberstam). This in turn leads to a multi-level game between the participants of cultural life and its institutions. The author goes on to present and analyse specific examples of the art of failure accentuating their subversive-emancipatory potential.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 17
  • Page Range: 181-194
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: English