Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Alternative Format

Degree

Master of Fine Arts

Program

Visual Arts

Supervisor

Patrick Mahon

Abstract

As contemporary art has expanded to encompass further disparate activities under its umbrella, the various institutions of art can be looked to as the only constant and defining characteristic of art. These institutions are often seen in sharp contrast to spontaneous collectivism, the real, and radical creativity—attributes deeply valued within contemporary art. This creates a troubling situation in which institutions are seen as limiting the possibility of what art could be, and artworks are perceived as needing to escape the very institutions which define them in order to be deemed worthy. In this structure, contemporary art follows and validates the logic of neoliberalism and its doctrine of anti-institutionalism, radical creativity, and hyper individualism. This text looks at a short overview of neoliberalism, the economic impact of neoliberalism on artists, and examines the work of artist Renzo Martins in relation to the issues of neoliberalism and institutionalism in art.

Summary for Lay Audience

As contemporary art has expanded to encompass nearly any and all activities under its umbrella, the various institutions of art—galleries, art schools, established ways of behaving and doing—can be looked to as the only constant and defining characteristic of art. These institutions are often seen in sharp contrast to spontaneous collectivism, the real, and radical creativity—attributes deeply valued within contemporary art. This creates a troubling situation in which institutions, or established ways of doing, are seen as limiting the possibility of what art could be, and artworks are perceived as needing to escape the very institutions which define them, in order to be deemed worthy. In this structure, contemporary art follows and validates the logic of neoliberalism and its doctrine of anti-institutionalism, radical creativity, and hyper individualism. This text looks at a short overview of neoliberalism, the economic impact of neoliberalism on artists, and examines the work of artist Renzo Martins in relation to the issues of neoliberalism and institutionalism in art. The accompanying online artwork aims to further the constellation of ideas, forms, and strategies surrounding the issues of the institutional nature of art.

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