The Challenges of Contemporary Art, Aesthetics, and Society within Pandemic 2020

The Challenges o Con empo a y A , Aes he ics, and Socie y wi hin Pandemic 2020 E elīna Til a ABSTRACT This a icle is dedica ed o he speci ic ques ions o he global change o cul u al pa adigms and cul- u al mo emen s. “The Challenges o Con empo a y A , Aes he ics, and Socie y wi hin Pandemic 2020” is an oppo uni y o e lec upon he impo ance o con empo a y aes he ics, a s, and social p oblems ela ed no only o he digi aliza ion and globaliza ion aspec s bu also o he change o he unde s anding o he eali y in he con ex o Pandemic 2020 and he global b and— new ex- pe ience o lockdown. The main challenges o con empo a y aes he ics, cul u e, and socie y a e ela ionships be ween he ela ion o eali y and i uali y and be ween digi aliza ion and he a wo ld and aes he ics. These ela ionships aise aques ion upon popula mains eams, hei in luence on con empo a y a s, and he possibili y o keep he classic no ions o aes he ics. Addi ionally, his a icle helps o main ain he d as ic change in he whole wo ld’s social s uc u e. I gi es a heo e ical explana ion and sys ema iza ion o aclea e unde s anding o cu en aes he ic e ms “beau y” and “sublime” as ends and co ela ions. As well as in oduces aspeci ic change in cul u al pa adigm because o he Pandemic and sha ply de eloping in eg a ion o i uali y in o he mode n cul u e. KEYWORDS Con empo a y aes he ics, digi aliza ion, pandemic 2020, beau y, sublime INTRODUCTION The Global Pandemic 20201 is associa ed wi h mass dep ession.2 I ela es o he mod- e n sel -c i icism, op imis ic nihilism om Millenials, gen Z, Y, sa cas ic i ual pe - o mances, and despi e he b and-new 21s -cen u y sel -isola ion o lockdown expe- 1 The decla a ion o aglobal heal h eme gency was on 30 h Janua y 2020, when he WHO announced he ou b eak o COVID-19 as aGlobal Public Heal h Eme gency and issued co- o dina ions o Tempo a y Sa e y Recommenda ions. 2 Many ypes o esea ch ela ed o he COVID-19 and men al heal h signi ied ha na u al disas e s, such as wa s, pandemics, and o he mass aumas, inc ease he popula ion-wide psychological dis ess. The ecen s udy published in JAMA Ne wo k Open desc ibes how mon hs o sel -isola ion and lockdown can cause anxie y, ea , sadness, dep ession, and E ELīNA TILTA 103 ience,3 i is no as di e se as i seems. The hing is, ou cul u al-his o ical p ocess’s na a i e has he same issues ci iliza ions had back in Ancien Times, Medie als, Mode n, and he cu en — Pos -mode n pe iod. The only di e ence is ha he 2000s boom o social media in 20 yea s has become he mos signi ican and con lic ing phe- nomena linked wi h globaliza ion issues. Tha is why he ques ion abou wha digi al a and media in con empo a y cul u e a e challenging bu essen ial o new main- s eams o aes he ics, especially wi hin he Pandemic 2020. RELATIONS & AESTHETICS In he con ex o he 2000s digi aliza ion boom, i is c ucial o e e o he e m “ ela- ional aes he ics” c ea ed by cu a o Nicolas Bou iaud, which means ha ela ional aes he ics is unde s ood as an expe imen o desc ibe he endency o 90 ies a and a is s and he endency o c ea e a based o inspi ed mainly h ough human ela- ions and social con ex .4 In o he wo ds, i means ha a ans e ed i sel in o he ela ion p og ams in di e en ypes and models ha allow humans o in e ac wi h speci ic unc ionali y and expe iences. The e o e, he a wo k since he 90 ies is no jus a o m o media ep esen ed by he a is , bu also is a unc ional model, which shows ha he ques ion abou he dimension5 is no as impo an as i was be o e he 90 ies. Consequen ly, i we accep ha he ex en , size, o measu emen is no essen- ial wi hin con empo a y aes he ics, we can ee aes he ics om he dis inc ion be- ween digi al media and a and „ eal“ ( ouchable) a . I signi ies ha echnology’s in luence on con empo a y (i s age) a always ollows se ing up bo de s by echnol- ogy and i s bo de lines wi h eal and imagina y ( i ual).6 suicidal hough s. Addi ionally, acco ding o ecen s udies, 8,5% o adul s expe ience i- al signs o dep ession, including he eeling o hopelessness, loss o in e es in hings ha gene ally b ing joy, low ene gy, insomnia, and ouble concen a ing. Thus, he e is as a - ed gene al s a emen abou he global expe iences o new es ic ions and con ol o hu- mans eedom ha a ec he o e all analysis o he si ua ion. 3 Cu en ly, e e ing o he si ua ion in Feb ua y 2021, he wo ld has expe ienced a ound 2 o 3 lockdowns o shu downs o s ay-a -home o de s. Acco ding o he Re-open Eu ope- an Union o icial esou ce o he heal h si ua ion in Eu opean coun ies and is based on collec ed da a om ECDC— Eu opean Cen e o Disease P e en ion and Con ol— om 15 h Ma ch 2020 o he end o May/ beginning o June 2020, abou hal o he wo ld’s popula ion was unde he s ic lockdown, ha caused “mass auma” acco ding o Ed P ideaux. 4 N.BOURRIOUD, Rela ional Aes he ics, ansl. S.PLEASANCE & F.WOODS, Dijon: Les P esse Du Reel, 2002, pp.68–70. 5 He e is men ioned an idea ha o con empo a y a and aes he ics such o mal discus- sions like he discussion abou he dimension o a wo k, size, ex en , measu emen , ca- paci y, olume, and many o he ela ed o classic o malis ic aes he ics ques ions is no as impo an as i was be o e 90 ies due o he impe uous de elopmen o echnologies and hei assimila ion in o he e e yday p ac ices, bo h scien i ic and a is ic. 6 N.BOURRIAUD, Rela ional Aes he ics, ansl. S.Pleasance & F.Woods, Dijon: Les P esse Du Reel, 2002, pp.68–70. 104 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2020 Fi s o all, con empo a y unde s anding o a as a unc ional model can be de ined as indi idual a is s’ unique abili y o gi e o mal exp ession o imagina i e hough .7 Digi aliza ion as a ool, which on he one hand is used a he inal s ages— when he a wo k is iewed on adigi al pla o m o elec onic appa a us o , on he o he hand, is he p ominen a is s’ ins umen , e.q., speci ic a p og am o so wa e. In he con ex o 2020— he c i ical yea o he celeb a ion o digi aliza ion (since only wi h he help o digi al ools su i ed gene al communica ion, he e o e, also, social and cul u al expe iences)— ep esen s he lack o he di e ence be ween digi ally c ea ed a and non-digi ally c ea ed a because he only a ailable ool o a wo k ep esen a ion was en i ely digi al. Secondly, o he global emo ional expe iences like “ ea ” and “angs ,” and he aes- he ic expe iences like “ e i ying sublime” o “beau y o ca as ophe,” o ins ance, he “Bei u blas ,” ha happened on 4 h Augus , ha e igge ed he a -wo ld o c e- a e a wo ks ha le us expe ience “ e i ying sublime” and gi e us an unde s anding o absolu e “beau y” in i . His o ically, in he nea es pas , we al eady had such expe- ience wi h he help o s ee a . Le us pay pa icula a en ion o he amous B i - ish s ee a is Banksy (1973-now), whose a wo ks back in 2016 caused adiscussion on whe he s ee a is ac ime, g ime, o sublime?8 Fu he mo e, he deba e is no abou he g a i i mo emen o discussion abou pain ed ags and a wo ks om he p ope y owne ’s iewpoin s o he conse a i e pe spec i e. The wo h o a en ion is how he used digi al ools o achie e his goal— o make, globally, socie y speaks on essen ial opics such as eedom, he wa in Pales ine, o ins ance, g a i i pain - ings such as “E …So y” on Wes Bank Ba ie o “Do e o peace,” socie y classi ica- ion, iolence, and many o he opics. O cou se, wi hou digi aliza ion, he could no achie e his goal because, wi hou hese ools, his pain ings would no gi e he same aes he ic pe cep ion. Tha is, wi hou digi als, his pain ings would no be expe ienced as he a wo ks. Mo eo e , his pain ings would be expe ienced in he same way ha simple andalism collabo a es in e e y u ban space, subu b, o c iminal dis ic . Be o e desc ibing he co ela ion be ween social e en s and aes he ic concep s o “beau i ul” and “sublime,” one speci ic opic mus be discussed— he ela ions be ween objec , space, ime, o loca ions. The s uggle o space and ime, how some o he digi aliza ion p ocesses uin he a wo ks, despi e accep ing he mo emen agains he “ i ing” and ca ego izing a wo k in o eal and i ual, digi al and non-digi al, and a oiding he dimension o he dimension possible only heo e ically, is eal. The i ing in o he digi al pla o ms’, o example, o la ge-scale pain ings, locks he possibili y o expe ience he massi eness o he a wo k due o he desk op’s size o esolu ion. Meanwhile, asimila s uggle can be ela ed o he ully digi al wo ks and usually happens when ully digi al wo ks should be exhibi ed in muse- ums o galle ies. Fo example, p in ing he g id o Ins ag am does no make he same aes he ic pleasu e, o by exhibi ing he VR c ea ed game o mo ie, hen showing i on he walls o la ge scale sc eens, e ase he beau y o he HD elemen s, and so on. 7 L.TRESP, Digi al A , The Chicago School o Media Theo y, 2020. A ailable online a h ps:// lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/media heo y/keywo ds/digi al-a / [Accessed: 13.12.2020] 8 B.BETHAN, S ee a : C ime, g ime o sublime? BBC News, 16 h Decembe 2016. A ailable online a h ps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-38316852 [Accessed: 13.12.2020] E ELīNA TILTA 105 Despi e he d as ic change o cul u al and social li e in 2020, he a wo ld p o ed ha a is acon inual sel -de eloping socio-cul u al phenomenon ha su i es unde any ci cums ances. The mo e aluable a e becoming beginnings o sho en he bo de s be ween eal and i ual. The e o e, c ea ing mo e and mo e eal i uali y and in e- g a ing i uali y ea u es in o he eali y ou ine. Fo example, some ecen wo ld- amous exhibi ions like in he Uni ed S a es Nancy Bake Cahill’s augmen ed- eali y wo ks we e eeing public monumen s om he ideology o con ol wi h AR and VR non-s ic ly-physical expe iences a wo ks he name o “Libe y Bell” (2020),9 o i ual eali y a ins alla ion such as “A i icial Tea s VR” by E elyn Bencico a.10 VR and AR a p ac ices a e becoming popula and main ain ahigh le el o p o essionali y in he Uni ed S a es and Eu ope.11 When he p esen is expe iencing and discussing dozens o anxie y and ea -causing e en s, he ques ion abou he u u e and i s isualiza ion comes o wa d because he exis en ial s uggle and ques ioning o human beings’ gene al exis ence and pu pose is an in ini e opic o philosophe s, heologis s, a is s, and musicians, w i e s, and poe s. Mo eo e , he ques ioning o “why” and “wha o humans li e” is coming almos om e e y child a school. In nowadays, when mo e c i ical han caused “s a e o h ea ” a e issues wi h Global Wo ld pollu ion, and when he ecology is s uggling, animals and human beings a e dying; many lo a and auna species a e ex inc a e e y co ne o he wo ld; he ea o he oid in he u u e is mo ing a is s o e lec upon he possible u- u e. In consequence, a is s c ea e augmen ed eali y ha exp esses i sel h ough he a wo ks and a p ac ices ha combine he i ual in eal oge he , like he a p ojec ealized in La ia called #semina u u i, which was bo h exhibi ed in eali y as apa o Sculp u e Quad ennial Riga, and as well as a ailable in i ual eali y.12 As we can see, social si ua ions do in luence a is s o mo e o wa d. The a end- ance o con empo a y a o c ea e ela ions be ween human beings and in e eac wi h i uali y has been d ama ically e alua ed wi h he help o global changes in adaily ou ine and accessibili y o en e ainmen . Addi ionally, o he ela ion be- ween he p og ess o a , echnology, and social ci cums ances, he ela ion be ween he social ac o s and he no ions o “beau i ul” and “sublime” can be ep esen ed wi h he help o i e selec ed co ela ions o concep s “beau i ul” and “sublime” ha signi y ha despi e dozens o discussions upon aes he ics and a -wo ld ela ed op- ics, can desc ibe basic ules o aes he ic expe ience, and, he e o e, o a .13 9 E.WILK, Ghos s in he Machine, F ieze No.214, Oc obe 2020, pp.80–85. 10 Mo e abou he Vi ual Reali y A Ins alla ions a e a ailable online a h ps://www.ikono- space.com/blog/a i icial- ea s- [Accessed: 31.12.2020] 11 In Eu ope, he digi aliza ion boom begins in 2020 wi h he help o VR pla o ms ha p o- ide online exhibi ion se ices, such as VR-All-A , online exhibi ions, and pe o mances on di e en s eams, 3HD Fes i als, he Ve y Fi s Vi ual A P ize (2020). Wi h he adop- ion o echnology in he same way as KAW’s Companion (2020)— when mobile phone helps disco e ase ies o new a wo ks om he a is in a eal-li e size while walking in he pa k. Al e na i ely, wi h he help o Ins ag am il e s ha allow adding 3D a ele- men s o ape son’s oom wi h he help o he sma phone. 12 L.BOĻŠAKOVA, Semina Fu u i, 2020. A ailable online a h ps://semina u u i.l /en/ [Ac- cessed: 20.12.2020] 13 P.BOURDIEU, The Rules o A . Camb idge: Poli y P ess, 2019. 106 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2020 Figu e 1:L.Boļšako a, Semina u u i, p in -sc een o a is s In- s ag am blog, 202014 RELATIONS OF BEAUTY AND SUBLIME Rega ding he co ela ions be ween aes he ic concep s, i is essen ial o men ion ha he concise desc ip ion o assump ion upon how aes he ic expe ience can be o mu- la ed. Sho ly, aes he ic expe ience can be exp essed in he o mula: [aes he ic expe- ience = x + y], whe e x is aconcep o beau y, and y— he concep o sublime, can be applied wi hin di e en con ex s o cul u al mains eams, which u he can help o unde s and he cu en socio-cul u al pa adigma ic change. Addi ionally, he added adjec i es o “x” o “y” help main ain and analyze speci ic endencies o a mo e- men s. 14 The p in -sc een cap u ed om www.ins ag am.com/linda_bolsako a E ELīNA TILTA 107 He ea e , he i s co ela ion is be ween “easy beau y” and “na u al sublime,” which by i s unc ion is connec ed o he simple and common cul u al aspec s con- duc ed and de ined by con empo a y socie y. This co ela ion explains means o e ms ha by “easy beau y,” we unde s and some hing ha pleases he senses and is accep ed by socie y o has been se up by socie y, like he yea ly choice o Pan one’s colo . Pe Pan one’s colo choice se s he ends in a chi ec u e, pain ings, maga- zine co e s, ashion indus y, and so on and on. So, when Pan one was “Li ing Co al 16–1546”15 in 2019, almos all ashion and a magazines we e ull o pho og aphs, com- me cials, illus a ions in his colo . The “Li ing Co al” pinkness” was o e whelming he con en on blogging pla o ms, music ideos, desk op sa e s, in e io , home deco and clo hing, and many o he e e yday aspec s o daily ou ine. Thus he unc ion o Pan one helps o o mula e he unde s anding o he “easy beau y.” Meanwhile, he “na u al sublime” o “sublimi y o na u e” is connec ed o na u e’s magni ude and powe . Fo ins ance, he a wo ks om he collabo a ion p ojec “Timelines” (2019)16 be ween Google A s & Cul u e and Fabian Oe ne c ea ed digi ized landscapes in colo o 2020— “Classic Blue 19–4052”17— and became e y popula and i al no only because o he esponding and in e p e a ion o he clima e da a bu also be- cause hese a wo ks became popula as desk op wallpape s, social media pos s. Ano he co ela ion wo h men ioning is common in con empo a y a s— aco - ela ion be ween “ ee beau y” and “dynamic sublime,” which connec s wi h he a - is ’s ee spi i o unin e up ed in en ion o c ea e.18 Whe eas “ ee beau y” is un- de s ood in he eedom om o malis ic cha ac e is ics o ep esen a ion o beau y and he beau i ulness o he a wo k i sel . While “dynamic sublimi y” is e e ed o as he human expe ience o eedom om he objec ha is judged o be sublime and symbolically ep esen s eedom, and unc ions as acomp omise be ween he phenomenology o he na u al sublime as anecessa y condi ion o sublimi y, hus being unde s ood as acoun e poin o men al ib a ions, and caused by hem he ex- pe ience o he eedom.19 I we alk abou examples, his co ela ion can be applied o unde s anding imp o isa ions in isual, audial, pe o ma i e, and o he o ms. Fo ins ance, he “dynamic sublime” and “ ee beau y” can be expe ienced in Mo ocan 15 Pan one, Colo o he Yea 2019: Li ing Co al 16–1546. A ailable: h ps://www.pan one.com/ a icles/colo -o - he-yea /colo -o - he-yea -2019 [Accessed: 20.12.2020] 16 S udio Oe ne , Timlines, 2019–2020. Mo e in o ma ion abou his p ojec and collabo a- ion a ailable online h ps:// abianoe ne .com [Accessed 20.12.2020]; Addi ional eading ela ed o his p ojec D.Smy h, Digi alised Landscapes: Hea bea o he Ea h, Aes he ica, Issue 96, Augus /Sep embe 2020, pp 98–103. 17 Pan one, Colo o he Yea 2020. A ailable online h ps://www.pan one.com/a icles/colo - o - he-yea /colo -o - he-yea -2020 [Accessed: 20.12.2020] 18 E.TILTA, Func ion o Sublime and Beau i ul in he Con ex o Con empo a y A Ma ke , ab- s ac o VII In e na ional Fo um o Doc o al Candida es in Eas Eu opean A His o- y o ganized by he Chai o Eas Eu opean A His o y, Humbold-Uni e si ae uz Be lin, ha was suspended due o COVID 19 c isis. A ailable online h p://www.kuns geschich e. hu-be lin.de/wp-con en /uploads/2020/04/Til a-E elina-pape -2020.pd [Accessed: 22.12.2020] 19 U.ABACI, Kan ’s Jus i ied Dismissal o A is ic Sublimi y, The Jou nal o Aes he ics and A C i icism, Vol.66, No.3 (Summe , 2008), pp.237–251 108 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2020 a is Ismail Zaidy’s (known as L4a is e) “3aila” pho og aphy and ideo se ies, o Agnieszka Polska’s compu e -gene a ed media wo k “The Demon’s B ain,” and many o he wo ks.20 One o he mos impo an ela ing cu en a icle is he co ela ion be ween “dependen beau y” and “mo al sublime,” which can be adep wi hin he social o poli ical con ex when he a wo k’s unc ion is o aise awa eness o p opaganda. The mos ema kable example in he Eas e n Eu opean a ea is Joze Robakowski (bo n 1939) a , an o igina o o he Polish a an -ga de, who analyzes he media’s language and d aws i om he adi ion o Cons uc i ism, as well as eco ding he absu dism o he communis eali y. Also, his wo ks a e ema kable neo-a an -ga de and neo-Dadais app oach. His amous wo k “A is Powe ” (1985)21— he i ualis ic ansmission o mili a y pa ades om Moscow’s Red Squa e (on e e y anni e sa y o he Oc obe Re olu ion) on ele ision as he p ima y ma e ial o his a , is used o decons uc ion and econs uc ion o o ali a ian public spec acle. His app oach o displaying o ali a ian absu di y ele a es he lo iness and d ama o Communism and Fascism a he same ime showing he s eng hs and weaknesses o he egimes. Addi ional excellen example o “dependen beau y” and “mo al sublime” is Ka a zyna Kozy a’s a p ojec s, like “Looking o Jesus” (2014), which ep esen s people wi h so-called Je usalem synd ome. In con as , beau y depends on he main symbol in he ace o Jesus, and he mo al sublimi y comes ou in he men al diso de , as well as many o he a wo ks, including Goncha o a’s “Cyclis ” and T učilauskas “Ad en u e ime— Finn mee s his babe” discussed in ex abo e. The co ela ion be ween “ o mal beau y” and “ma hema ical sublime” nowadays is no ela ed o he “ o malis ic” o “academic” aes he ics, bu mo e o concep ual- ism and minimalism. Ag ea example is he a p ojec / a wo k i led “Ac i i ies wi h Dob omie z” (1972–1974/2008), by an a is ic duo KwieKulik, which consis s o Zo ia Kulik P zemyslaw Kwiek, who ied o compa e ma hema ical ope a ions wi h ope a ions on ma e ial o ms in speci ic li e si ua ions. 22 In he con ex o lockdown and pandemic 2020 o his co ela ion be ween “ o mal beau y” and “ma hema i- cal sublime” can ela e many aes he ically compu e ized a p ojec s, s a ing wi h Ma kus Guschelbaue s pas el-colo ed ins alla ions ha ep esen humani y’s desi e o o ganize, de ine and con ol in e ac ion wi h he en i onmen ; Alex Lysakowski’s s uc u al manipula ions, and ending wi h he musical diag ams, and a endances no only compa e bu also combine musical (audial) a wo ks wi h isuals om he Ma isse o Kandinsky, om Duchamp o Y es Klein.23 20 The co ela ion be ween “ ee beau y” and “dynamic sublime” can be applied o almos all a wo ks. The men ioned examples a e chosen o no e because o hei di e si y in media and p esen a ion. 21 Full in o ma ion abou a is and his wo ks is a ailable online h p:// ideo.w ocen e .pl/ en/wideo/od-monumen u-do-ma ke u/sz uka- o-po ega/ [Accessed: 19.12.2020] 22 T.ZALUSKI, Za chiwum KwieKulik: Dzialnia zDob omie zem iS ol zX-ami, 2008. A ailable online: h p://kulikzo ia.pl/a chiwum/ omasz-zaluski-z-a chiwum-kwiekulik-dzialania- z-dob omie zem-i-s ol-z-x-ami/ [Accessed: 23.12.2020] 23 And many o he p ojec s— he ela ion be ween audial and isual echniques a e wide- sp ead in con empo a y p ac ice, beginning wi h isualizing musicians’ li e pe o manc- E ELīNA TILTA 109 The mos challenging and exci ing co ela ion is be ween “ugly beau y”24 and “ e i ying” o “ agic sublime”25 because his connec ion is he mos app op ia e o e lec ions o con empo a y a wo ks and he way he a is being ep esen ed nowa- days. Tha is why, o ins ance, o unde s and “ugly beau y” and “ e i ying sublime,” pa icula a en ion should be paid o he igge ing expe iences o he e i ying sublimi y and ugly o p o oking beau y simila o he No e Dame i e in Ap il 2019 o he mos ecen agic e en — Bei u Blas on 4 h Augus 2020. Acco ding o hese ca ego ized i e co ela ions be ween aes he ic concep s, un- de s anding con empo a y mains eam changes and aes he ics can be discussed. MAINSTREAM CHANGES & AESTHETICS One o he mos speci ic aspec s o digi aliza ion p ocesses and con empo a y aes- he ics is connec ed o he a wo k unde s anding p ocesses. The exac con inuous change o ends and in o ma ional lows a e c ea ing such ques ions as is he e any chance no only o ge he aes he ic expe ience om he a wo k bu also un- de s and he, o example, he expe ience o sublime? Fo he unde s anding o con empo a y aes he ics, we can y o apply Bou dieu’s model o “popula aes- he ics”— he alua ions ha implici in e e yday p ac ices o lowe classes, a e mos ly he opposi e o he so-named “pu e” aes he ic judgmen de ined by Kan be- cause hey a e based on immedia e enjoymen , ela ed o some es ablished no ions o pe ec ion and p ac ical in e es s, hey a e appa en ly non-au onomous and im- pu e,26 hus, o Kan — p imi i e.27 Fo ins ance, i we pay pa icula a en ion o he Cen al and Eas e n Eu opean cul u e in he pas wo yea s— he o e whelm- ing in o ma ional lows, social and poli ical dilemmas, agic e en s and ca as o- phes, Global issues such as wa ming and pollu ion, and ela ed o hese ques ions, a wo ks, discussions, exhibi ions a e simila o mode nis and pos -mode nis mo emen .28 In o he wo ds, con empo a y a con inues he 20 h cen u y’s p ac- ical and social in e es in a . es wi h he help o ideog aphy, o ins ance, a he a e pa ies, and ending wi h digi al- ized measu emen o musical ib a ions and ep esen ing hem in compu e ized g aphs. 24 U.ECO, On Ugliness, ansl. A.McEwen, London: Maclehose P ess, 2007, pp.8–20. 25 E.BURKE, APhilosophical Enqui y in o he O igin o Ou Ideas o he Sublime and Beau i ul; wi h and In oduc o y Discou se Conce ning Tas e, P ojec Gu enbe g, Vol.1, Pa I, pp.101–122. A ailable online: h ps://www.gu enbe g.o g/ iles/15043/15043-h/15043-h.h m#AP- PENDIX [Accessed: 12.12.2020] as well as F.Nie zsche, The Bi h o T agedy o Hellenism and Pessimism, P ojec Gu enbe g, pp 102–113. A ailable online: h ps://www.gu enbe g. o g/ iles/51356/51356-h/51356-h.h m#FOREWORD_TO_RICHARD_WAGNER [Accessed: 15.12.2020] 26 R.SCHUSTERMAN, Pie e Bou dieu, and P agma is Aes he ics: Be ween P ac ice and Expe i- ence, New Li e a y His o y 46 (3), June 2015, pp.435–457. 27 I.KANT, C i ique o Judgmen , Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2008, pp.24–26 28 Amode nis and pos -mode nis a mo emen is ela ed o he ea ly 20 h cen u y un- il he beginning o he 21s cen u y. I includes he assump ion ha mo e o ewe a s yles and gen es, e en he abs ac exp essionism mo emen , ki sch, a an -ga de, and 110 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2020 Despi e his mo emen and elying on p ac ical and social aspec s, o , simply, u il- i a ian aspec s o a s, i does no mean ha aes he ics o Kan ian pu i y can no be applied o con empo a y a wo ks, bo h digi al and non-digi al. Kan ian aes he ics o “pu e aes he ics” lies in he con lic o in e p e a ions and unde s andings wi hin he his o ical backg ound. We can no ans e any idea o heo y om he pas in o cu en eali y, bu we can in eg a e i acco ding o cu en social needs. Hence, on he one hand, yes— mos con empo a y a wo ks a e based on p ac ical in e es and can be “ba ba ian” and “p imi i e” wi hin he Kan ian unde s anding. On he o he hand, he con empo a y cul u e has changed and, nowadays, being social and being in socium (bo h o indi iduals and a is s, as well as o a wo ks and a i sel ) is as much impo an as he expe ience o oman ic sel -posi ioning owa ds majes ic and g and agic a e and ci cums ances (o con as ing own sel wi h un ai h ul des iny, he ange o gods, e c.). Mo eo e , he change o a s mains eam om imagina y o p ac ical in he con ex o he ideology does no mean ha we can no apply Kan ’s aes he ics, o ins ance, wi hin he social a — a as asocial sys em ha consis s o a is ic exp essions ha aim a inspi ing o p o oking, o a ec ing social impac and change— which means ha such “pu ely aes he ic” e ms as “beau y” and “sublime” can be applied in he same sense. Le ’s analyze con empo a y social a wi hin Kan ian unde s anding, including, o example, such mo emen s like “neo-p imi i ism,” “abs ac exp essionism,” “concep ualism,” and o he “isms” ha a e no ba ba ian om con empo a ies pe - cei ing. We can no ice ha i is mo e ela ed o he Kan ian unde s anding o a due o i s’ e hical and mo al co ela ions ha co ela e wi h he e m “sublime.” The o m o he a wo k i sel links o he no ions o “beau y.” Tha is, alo o con empo a y a wo ks by hei pu pose in Cen al and Eas e n Eu opean coun ies a e social. They a e dedica ed o he ceaseless amoun o issues and p oblems connec ed o he pas and p esen cul u e, beginning wi h he ques ions on pos -colonialism, pos -so i- e ism, changes in poli ical egimes, human igh s, women igh s, LGBTQ igh s, and ending wi h speci ic opics like wa , genocide, na u al disas e s, indus ial ca as o- phes and e o ism, and so on and on. All hese opics since mode ni y a e being discussed h ough he a and ep esen ed in a and by he help o a he con ex o mo ali y, which is ep esen ed wi hin he unde s anding o “mo al sublime,” he e h- ical alue o an a wo k, and he ep esen a ion o he idea/p oblem in combina ion concep ualism in audial and isual wo ks, a e connec ed and ely on p ac ical, bene i- cial social in e es s o a is s and iewe s/lis ene s. Le us compa e Rune Gune iussen’s ins alla ions (bo n in 1977, in No way, an a is ela ed o he en i onmen al a mo e- men ) and how hey a e exposed. We will see asimila i y, o example, wi h he Dadaism mo emen , when he p e y ob ious objec s like, in Ma cel Duchamp, eadymade sculp- u e “Foun ain.” Al e na i ely, le us compa e Benjamin Von Wong’s (bo n in 1986, Cana- da, apho og aphe , a is , and ac i is ela ed o en i onmen al a mo emen ) concep u- al pho og aphy ha aises awa eness o en i onmen al pollu ion wi h Roman Vishniac’s (aRussian bo n Ame ican, 1897–1990) pho og aphy ha ep esen s he Jewish li e in Eas - e n Eu ope be ween WWI and WWII. We will see ha bo h pho og aphe s ep esen adi- cally di e se social dimensions. In con as , he ones a e expe iencing hei mos p oduc- i e, success ul business pe o mance, ich li es, and he o he s a e s uggling o poli ical egime and pollu ion ha agg essi ely des oys lands. E ELīNA TILTA 117 in o i ual.43 This phenomenal global change in he digi aliza ion p ocesses— ha no only main ain, c ea e, and con ol he in o ma ional end changes bu also ec e- a es an excep ional chance o expe ience sublimi y and absolu e beau y men ioned in aes he ics om he oman icism pe iod. Cu en ly, humani y is expe iencing global anxie y, ea , and angs owa ds ades iny, addi ionally, social g oups a e spli .44 The dis ances be ween owns and coun ies became la ge again, and he bo de s a e se up e en wi hin he Eu opean Union. And all hese one-yea changes help us unde - s and and b ing us back o he oman icism and Kan ian ision o he “pu e” aes he - ics. In con as , i is impo an o keep in mind, ha he as e is no he main p oblem: he eelings exp essed in poe y, g and-scale pain ings and sculp u es wi h na u al o agic mo i s, pa he ic unde s anding o human weakness owa ds he gods. Because bo h, oman icis s and con empo a ies, a e expe iencing h ough he a he un-de- sc ip ional global sc eaming silence and knowledge o human weakness, he unde - s anding o coincidence powe o uin he whole ci iliza ion less han in one minu e by aking away no only human li e bu also he en i e his o ical a i ac s. In consequence, we can sha e he di ec aes he ic expe iences o happenings globally a he same ime and space. Ne e heless, he pe cei e is in ano he pa o he wo ld and e lec on his o ical e en s igh now. O cou se, such e en s as Bei- u Blas en e ed he lis o agic e en s o he wo ld like he a omic bombings o Hi oshima and Nagasaki in 1945, he Che nobyl disas e ( ha was e y d ead ul o CEE and CIS coun ies) in 1986, he all o he Be lin Wall in No embe 1991, o 9/11 in 2001 o he Uni ed S a es. The di e ence is ha only nowadays since he “li e s eam” unc ion was in eg a ed in o he mos popula social pla o ms, he expe i- ence o he connec ion o agic happenings o , on he con a y, happy e en s— like sa ing achild a e he s o m, a e a ec ing no only speci ic na ions and coun ies o p i ileged classes, bu a ec each human being, change he wo ld and inspi e a . This d as ic mains eam change in digi al e olu ion and in eg a ion in o e e yday li es allows humani y o expe ience and c ea e he g ea symbols o human his o y ha globally change he cul u e and de elopmen . This, ac ually, p o es ha a is cons an ly e ol ing, and by i s changing p ocesses, i helps humani y heal and su - i e. A is he heale o socie y, ha helps o ge h ough he auma izing e en s and accep eali y, no ma e whe he i is digi al o i ual. Can we s ill ela e o ou con empo a y cul u e’s unde s anding as no ali ing hing, as no an au hen ic cul u e, and jus akind o knowledge o cul u e? Do we ha e no hing o ou own? Do we s ill eplenish and c am ou sel es wi h ages, eli- gions, philosophies, a s, and disco e ies o o he s? O maybe now, wi h he help o he speci ic change o cul u al pa adigm— he pa adigm o in eg a ion o eali y in o i uali y a he han i uali y in o eali y— we become wo hy o no ice? 43 V.GUBTA, Op-ed: The “Expe ience Economy” is dead d i ing aboom in i ual eali y, CNBC News, 27 h Augus 2020, A ailable online: h ps://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/27/op- ed-dea h-o - he-expe ience-economy-gi es- ise- o- i ual- eali y.h ml [Accessed: 16.12.2020] 44 I.BREMMER, Welcome o he Fi s Global Economic Dep ession o Ou Li e imes, Time, 16 h May 2020, A ailable online: h ps:// ime.com/5837442/ i s -global-dep ession-ou -li e imes/ [Accessed: 01.12.2020]