-Jacques Ranciere, “The Aesthetic Revolution and its Outcomes: Emplotments of Autonomy and Heteronomy” New Left Review No. 14 (March-April, 2002) pp. 133 – 151.

Hito Steyerl, “Epistolary Affect and Romance Scams: Letter from an Unknown Woman” October 138 (Fall, 2011) pp. 57 – 69.

The Social Turn: Collaboration and Its Discontents

I think the question of the aesthetics of a relational art should not be a question because I often think that when a project is related to the society and require a lot of people to get involved. There should be an information circulated in between the authors and the public. I often believe that it requires a certain financial support in order to make the project more systematic. As aesthetics of the art is part of the living and about the politics, it is no denial that an art project is somehow indirectly affected by the economy. While there is no immediate result of a project in terms of the visual effect and a quick transformation of a society, the return is low in a short run, therefore, not much investment in those projects.
I do think that aesthetics is affected by resources and when it has to be delivered to the public and ask them to get involved, the resources often used for information transfer to let people know, and attract them.
More than that, authors usually do not aim for a beautiful designed project over the intention of the project. Therefore, authors usually would make a decision to benefit the social return instead of the appearance of the project.
I worked in an art organization which serve the disabled people to get involved in art. The aesthetic standard was low and it almost blur the line between social service and art. I eventually quit the organization between I see myself like to pursue the aesthetics rather than serving the community.
I guess this is the difference of social workers and artists who work on social relational art.

Seven Days in the Art World - Sarah Thornton

Art World isn't power but control _Jeff Poe
Quiet control mediated by trust.
Art is about experimenting and ideas, but it is also about excellence and exclusion.

The value of an artist and of the work. It is interesting yet

What is the position of artists in an auction world?


"Artists may be in high demand when they have a solo show at a major museum, but three years later their work may fail to reach its reserve price and suffer the indignity of being "bought in".
"Art is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it"/

The auction process is about managing confidence on all levels - confidence that the artist is and will continue to be culturally significant, confidence that the work is a good one, confidence that others will not withdraw their financial support.

Collectors support artists' works, curate shows to make sure their investment is correct and will continue to grow as the artists keep growing.

When my work was selected from a gallery to show after my graduation, gallerists concerned a lot about whether I will continue to make work and be an artist. It was an open question but also open myself up that I have the potential to continue to produce work and become an artist for a living. After showing the work in the gallery, not being sold, the gallerist asked me to make smaller work. My intention to make work was not for commercial reason. I think it is so strange.

After several years, I realized that selling works are very important if I do not have any outlet to showcase my work and treat my artistic career as a sustainable business.
Artist-entrepreneur can be successful because they could find a sustainable cycle to have space to create, to live, to grow with their business.

The ego of an artist has to heavily ground. Be able to give gallerists, collectors, auctioneers confidence to your works so that they can make sure it is the right investment.

It is a reverse of a pyramid that artist stands alone underneath and nurture the rest of the people in the art world. Everything is based on the artwork itself.

The Cuteness of the Avant Garde - Sianna Ngai

Aesthetic is collapsing - picking up the cuteness
Anti-aesthetics is not an alternative

Danity

Psychology
Big eyes
small mouth
round

Affective beauty: Vulnerable/ pity/ passiveness/ malleability
soft materials

power relationship of subject and object
elasticity, slowly regains its shape, 

is it because cuteness has a formula that it is not being appreciated?
what is the capacity to create under cuteness?

cuteness has a role in the society

cute and identity

Merely interesting - Sianne Ngai

Is it simply that interesting is academic politesse?
why interesting is the aesthetics discourse?
bigness can rule out a judgment of something as cute.

interesting= new?
interesting= conceptual? wired? never seen?
interesting= catch the attention?
interesting= i care/ i don't care
ing
open a dialogue, communication and open a conversation between the artist and the audience.
just floating.
expand public sphere

just a dip, no commitment
icon of dull affect, low-intensity affect....ambivalent
lazy
why?
reuse it, paste it
all conceptual art just pointing at things?

artists = raise a question, not a finish sentence,
audience = finish the question by themselves, based on their background

beautiful is 'final"
interesting is in medias res, "on its way" to a "there" whose content or meaning is indeterminate.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-if-you-don-t-understand-conceptual-art-it-s-not-your-fault
put the condition of society in question as well

Conceptual art is often praised or condemned for its lack of emotion, its unsentimental devotion to documentation, repetition, and dryness.
Ngai sees the precarious balance of emotional and analytical impulses that, for her, makes a piece of art “of interest.”  
what’s interesting is always in danger of becoming profoundly boring.
 Goldsmith’s is not without emotion (even dryness is an affect, no matter how weak) and so still open to aesthetic (feeling-based) judgments.
Aesthetic judgments, Ngai reminds us, are rarely ever interesting in themselves. It is, in the end, our attempts to explain why we feel what we feel that truly interest us — and one virtue of conceptual art lies in how it asks us to explain our reaction to it.

SURABHI GHOSH

Surabhi has a different artistic approach compare to mine because her research on pattern does not have a specific direction to me. During her presentation, I always think that she did not really specifically elaborate how she can relate the pattern to culture, women's hair or some of the symbols. She centre point of the research is about pattern only but not linking with any specific topic that she would like to further investigate.
Maybe because she is a professor in Concordia, I was a bit disappointed that the way she explained her works are too lecturer like instead of an artist.
I was thinking why I was expecting artist talk like an artist talk? Does artist talk has a specific criteria? Why did I deny her way to present her way?
I did enjoy her works so much, but I could not see the linkage of her mindset and attitude of her practice.
Surabhi's research is so difficult that I really appreciate some artists could do a reseach about something highly abstract. The challenging part of her research is that she would like to put a certain narration inside and trying to conceptualize the pattern. However, if she could further explain the way she link pattern with other things she mentioned, I would be easily assessed to her mindset and understand her way of making art.

DANIEL BARROW

Daniel Barrow was a very interesting artist. I totally enjoyed his new method of presenting drawings. In the beginning of the talk, he named himself as a media artist. I was so surprised when he said that n I continued to observe how he defined himself and whats the relationship between his work and his media artist identity. Eventually except the fact that he used overhead projector to perform and he used other equipment to present his drawings, I do not really see him as a media artist, rather I see him as an expanding drawing artist. Itis experimental and he does not really investigate the technoogy itself.
I reflect on myself because I used to call myself as a media artist. It is a dangerous term to me that media artist can mean a lot of things. It is a very broad term but not every artist is able to use it correctly. I do think that media artist is attributed to new media artist since no one calls themselves as new media artist anymore. New media artist carries a huge responsibility and it indicated that the artist keep exploring new technology. It is highly challenging and ambitious when some artist called new media artist.
Furthermore, since media art is a very popular trend nowadays, sometimes I suspect if Daniel like being called as a media artist or he is a real media artist. To me his original ideas always came from drawings and the style and character of his painting and drawings are marvolus. It is only common that nowadays we use technology but does it encounter that he is a media artist?

I was stuck in the beginning of his talk when he introduced himself as a media artist until the end of the talk. However, his works are excellent and I really enjoy his "artist statement" video. It is very hilarious and the way he made joke of himself definitely entertaining but also sarcastic.

Erin Gee

American sociologist Howard Becker's modern-day definition of an artist: “If you do it [art], you must be an artist; conversely, if you are an artist, what you do must be art."

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial affairs. You may be generally unhappy and disappointed when you're not given the special favors or admiration you believe you deserve. Others may not enjoy being around you, and you may find your relationships unfulfilling.

Narcissistic personality disorder treatment is centered around talk therapy (psychotherapy).

psychologists have found statistically significant trends that show a steady increase in narcissism and hostility in popular music

Instagram, which, let's face it, is largely a selfie-sharing app, is currently used to promote, sell and make art.

several prominent writers have turned art criticism into a popularity contest with commentary measured in thumbs ups, red hearts and smiley-face emojis.

David
Chris Burden

Is Contemporary Art History Global?

Hans Belting, "Contemporary Art as Global Art: A Critical Estimate" in The p.47 Global Art World: Audiences, Markets, Museums, Eds. Hans Belting and Andrea
Buddensieg

T.J. Demos, "Moving Images of Globalization"  

Terry Smith, "The State of Art History: Contemporary Art"

Kamal Aljafari Artist Talk

Comparison between Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Kamal Aljafari

Different approaches to present works
The talk was a complete opposite to Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's one. Rafael talked in academic language to illustrate his works in a very systematic way with well presented powerpoint and video of the documentation of his works, while Kamal kept explaining "Recollection" film and his thought about the film in his way. The structure was loose, relaxed, not planned. It can also reflects on his film that he did not have a certain strict rule and meaning for his film, he mentioned "freedom" many times and he stood his artist position very firmly that he did not think it is necessary to use another language like what Rafael did to categorize his works, to speak or explain.

The concern of the public's view on their works
What I heard from his talk is that he cares a lot about memory and history. The nostalgic attitude motivated him to create films by creating a new language. He emphasized again and again that he cares only about cinema and he like to do on his way without considering public's view. It is a total opposite to Rafael's attitude because he is very concerned about the judgement from the public, the integrity as an artist, so he took care of the logos and cares about how people's participation to his work is so important.

After thought
To me, I think he would like to be playful with what footages he got, twisted them, manipulating them, change the position of the protagonists and the passerby in the films. I wonder if democracy is a deep rooted idea for artists after listening to Rafael and Kamal's talk. Because of them thought about freedom without taking control were a precious value. To let the footages speak themselves (Kamal), to let the public treated his work as a platform and let them alter the work without strict rules (Rafael).

Is there a contradiction when someone wants to free something but also own the authorship? Although Kamal did not put voice over to the film because he explained that he wanted to let the images speak to themselves, but during the talk, he spoke a whole story when the film was playing, and explain that he wanted to give another experience to the audience. I felt very weird that why he was so firm about the film but contradict himself and use another way to present it?
What is the role of an artist when the final work was presented in another way that was not consistent to the intention of the original piece? Why artist has the right to alter whatever they have publicized already?
What is the power of an artist? Sometimes I wonder if I should change my idea of the original piece that have been shown before. Do the audience allow this power to exist?

In defence of Conceptual Art

http://outofsync.dk/gallery/i-hate-conceptual-art/

Dan Graham: I hate Conceptual Art - An Artist Interview

I totally don't agree with him saying that conceptual art is only about philosophy. You simplified conceptual art way too much man. Conceptual art is about ideas, philosophy is just one of them, it needs art to present the philosophy. I love you Dan Graham but I don't agree with you this time.

Cubism, Dada, Abstract Expressionism, Pop are all new movements coming from new ideas that succeeded in self-consciously expanding the boundaries of art!
you are just making another conceptual theory by pushing conceptual art to another extreme. I know you do! You don't hate it, you literally saying that you love it.

Yes conceptual art implied that aesthetics, expression, skill and marketability were all irrelevant standards, but the value of it is keep reflecting what is art. Much Conceptual art is self-conscious or self-referential. We absolutely need it.

By the way, artist interview may or may not be a mode of acting only. can't be always true, im quite skeptical about his words.

Writing an artist statement? First ask yourself these four questions

Writing an artist statement? First ask yourself these four questions

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

To become an artist is difficult. To become a successful artist who can support their lives is even difficult. It is not easy to work on a large scale project, but Rafael did it.
His talk introduced a few main ideas that I treasure the most.


He talked a lot about his own art pieces and how he related community with his art. The main idea for him is to observe human behaviour, how they can react to his artworks.
During his talk, I realised that he is very good at positioning himself in different field.
When he is a speaker, he uses the academic language in a sense that he divided his works into different categories.
When he is a businessman, he uses the language in terms of profit, beneficiary.
When he is an artist, he understands that the logos may raise doubts among the public, questioning he is working for money or for arts. His sincerity towards arts.

It is very risky that whenever a large scale work appears, it also raises a question about the economic

Method Acting The Artist Interviewer Conversation -Tim Grinffin

is it a kind of art writing to portray an artist in the writer's perspective only?
is it a reproduction product only?
there is no relevance between the artist themselves and the reports reflecting the artists themselves?
are there two identities only? in the art world and in the art written world?
just like theories and artworks, we borrow terminologies from philosophy to relate to artworks.
artists pick the words as artist statement
art writers pick the words as interview

first hand and second hand perspective?
the persona of an artist is inflected in any reading?
the power of an interview, the interviewee or the interviewer, the one who write seems need to be ethnical to the artists by removing a certain preconception and assumptions

can we get an authentic answer from the artists if we ask the same questions in different ways?
it seems like a detective that we have to find out the truth about the artist by ourselves.
maybe even the artists are afraid of answering the questions that they don't know?

Why it is important to understand the truth? What is the truth?

a dimensional answer? transparent? opaque?
Stanislavski may portrays a comparatively pessimistic way to define wt is good interview what is bad interview. It is quite problematic to understand if the interview is true in a sense that the artists do not act in another way to talk about their works, changing their own persona and if the editors do not open up the conversation and holding a preconception to serve the reader instead of the artists?

At last, Tim Griffin suggests a method of using dialogue as a form of representing the interview instead.

After reading this, I think the key to reflecting the truth is to open up without too much manipulation of the writing and interpretation. Again, it goes back to first information or second information.
we can all play good but what is the truth behind?

Personally I do like video bloggi

Analyzing the Artist Interview

Artist interviews are always a question to me. Some artists reject interviews because they do not think the report represents them or they do not want to be looked as an idol. Interviews are a kind of publicity to promote, market, label the artists' works. For me, it is like a supplementary evidence to support the artworks for the collects and serve the art market. As long as it is related to the art market, the interviews serve as a function that it may not be as authentic as possible. We usually only hear the good side of the interviews and I wonder how true it is. I never believe the whole report because it is written by another person that may not be wholly represent the artists themselves.

Often, the purpose of an interview may not solely introduce the artists because the magazines or the platform that publishes the interviews may have their own objective. The reasons they pick the artists for interview may have a hidden intention. For example, it may promote the art market because the value of the artists' works are expensive or it may have a political point of view that the artists can enhance the standpoint of that platform.

It is always suspicious and I always want to question why this artist. 

From the artists' point of view, it may be a very precious opportunity to promote their art pieces that they may act in a way to convince how valuable the artworks are even though it may not be true. Reporters may also being misled by the artists if they do not have a rich art education background or experience to analysis the artworks or artists. I am curious about the last paragraph that mentions "Method of acting" which may resonance to what I mentioned.

Keywords coming from my mind after reading this

Authenticity
Act
Fallacy
Scepticism
Interpretation 

Feigned

Knotty
Veracity
Libel
Raconteur