编号 11 (2025)
Articles
Can aesthetics criticize contemporary art?
摘要
The subject of the study is the possibility of aesthetics to criticize contemporary art. Contemporary art is not understood by aesthetic criticism. Aesthetics, detached from the process of creating and evaluating art, reveals a deficit of critical ability. Today, it is no longer aesthetics that criticizes art, but art that criticizes aesthetics. In the modernist era, aesthetics was an important means of understanding art, but it never criticized a specific work of art, but only analyzed the art as a whole, at the level of generalization. The purpose of this study is to examine the crisis of aesthetics due to which aesthetics cannot criticize modern art. Contemporary art gives rise not only to a new critical aesthetics but also to a philosophy of art, as it contributes to the affirmation of a value system appropriate to the times. The study was conducted through philosophical reflection on the crisis of aesthetics and application of the method of philosophical analysis. The research methodology is based on the concept of "practical aesthetics", the methodology of sociocultural analysis of contemporary art, methods of traditional aesthetics, and a comparative analysis of concepts of the development of modern aesthetics: the reconfiguration of aesthetics and practical aesthetics, which comprehends the phenomenon of aestheticization of everyday life as a means of expanding the scope of aesthetics. However, the evolution of aesthetics leads to its self-annihilating, and practical aesthetics is nothing more than the form of self-deception. Contemporary art is characterized by violating prevailing aesthetic norms and creating new aesthetic trends. Since the 1990s, an ethnographic emphasis in contemporary art has deconstructed conceptual oppositions in the political context of decolonization, destroying such polarities as First and Third World, center and periphery, West and East. In contemporary art, the critique of identity and hybridity have become central themes. Postcolonial discourse has sharpened the challenge to traditional aesthetics. The critical force of aesthetics must move to the practical level, that is, to open boundaries, i.e., accept contemporary art, actively participate in the evaluation and criticism of current artistic events, so as not to avoid the real artistic process, but to regain the ability to analyze current artistic processes.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):1-13
1-13
Curatorial Art as a Form of Contemporary Artistic Expression: Theoretical and Methodological Foundations and the Analysis of Three Projects.
摘要
The article examines curatorial practice as an independent form of contemporary artistic expression. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of phenomenology, hermeneutics, relational aesthetics, visual studies, and the anthropology of modernity, it analyzes three curatorial projects by Elena Nashikian (known in professional sphere as Ellen Nash) – Fragile Angel, The Gate, and Mesozoic: Let’s Start Over. The study demonstrates that curatorial work extends beyond mediation between artist and viewer, forming autonomous conceptual structures in which space, light, and visual regimes function as instruments of philosophical and aesthetic inquiry. Special attention is paid to themes of vulnerability, ethical encounter, liminality, cyclicality, and post-catastrophic imaginaries. The projects are explored as interconnected components of a unified authorial conception that proposes new models of perception and interaction within the context of cultural complexity and global transformation. Method or Methodology of the Study. The methodology of the study combines phenomenological analysis, visual theory, and relational aesthetics, allowing for an examination of curatorial practice as a form of authorial artistic expression. The research applies interpretative, comparative, and conceptual analysis to three projects by Ellen Nash, identifying the principles through which curatorial work generates modes of visibility and structures the viewer’s perceptual experience. Scientific Novelty and Conclusions. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the examination of curatorial art as a form of authorial philosophical-visual expression rather than merely a mediating practice. For the first time, three projects by Ellen Nash are analyzed as conceptually interconnected artistic structures in which the curator formulates her own modes of visibility, sensory logic, and scenographic solutions. The study demonstrates that curatorial strategies can place the viewer into states of darkness, light-based perception, or spatial thresholds, creating a field for interpretation and inner work. The findings show that curatorial expression can function as an autonomous research method and a conceptual framework for reflecting on transformations of contemporary sensibility.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):14-33
14-33
The ontology of architecture by John Ruskin
摘要
The article is devoted to the exploration of the perspective of the ontology of architecture as proposed by the renowned art critic, architect, and thinker John Ruskin. The main focus is on identifying his approach, which can also be applied to the development of contemporary "new ontologies" and/or "flat ontologies" in architecture and possibly in other forms of art. An assessment of Ruskin's approach is provided from the standpoint of experience in interpreting the evolving architectural reality. In summarizing the scientific discourse on the ontology of architecture, several key problematic issues are identified; in particular, it is shown that this concept receives almost no attention in domestic discourse, while among foreign researchers, the emphasis is mainly on identifying specific "manifestations" of ontologies. Additionally, an evaluation is made of Ruskin's search for theoretical and methodological foundations of the ontology of architecture. The main methodological perspective of the study is systems analysis, which allows for embedding John Ruskin's approach into both the theory of architecture and the ontology of architecture. The main conclusions of the conducted research, the primary results of which are presented in this article, include the following points: 1) the heuristic significance of the category of the ontology of architecture is assessed from the perspectives of both domestic academic discourse and foreign discourse; 2) the experience of analyzing architecture by John Ruskin in a traditional or classical key, tracing back to the classical ancient tradition and based on established architectural theory, is summarized, within which, for example, Architecture and Construction are clearly distinguished; 3) the significance of Ruskin's approach for analyzing contemporary architectural phenomena, which are also based on the so-called "new ontologies," is demonstrated; 4) the applicability of Ruskin's approach to the analysis of contemporary architectural phenomena and the changing architectural reality is revealed, and their scientific value is justified.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):34-46
34-46
Feminist Hegemony in Media Culture as a Form of Gnostic Episteme
摘要
The article examines the phenomenon of feminist hegemony in contemporary media culture through a corpus of films from the post-#MeToo period. Three clusters are investigated: utopian and dystopian narratives with a strong feminist optic, historical biopics about female figures of power, and films in which bodily and mythological otherness becomes the main resource of subjectivity. This material analyzes the shift from feminism as a struggle for representation to a regime in which the female optic defines the symbolic conditions of visibility, desires, and affect. Special attention is paid to how the female gaze, bodily vulnerability, and traumatic experience begin to structure not only the plot but also the visual-affective regimes of truth, transforming female subjectivity from a marginalized position into a demiurgic center of contemporary visual imagination. The methodological framework combines gnostic optics (nomos–pleroma–pneuma), feminist theory of subjectivity, Lacanian triangulation of desire, and visual studies, allowing the operationalization of the interception of authorship, the structuring role of the gaze, and the ritual of refusal in the analysis of corpus films. The scientific novelty of the study lies in interpreting feminist subjectivity as an expression of gnostic epistemology, rather than merely a political or legal project. The concept of "hegemony of exceptionality" is proposed, within which female otherness functions not as an object of inclusion but as a principle of normalization: it sets the filters of visibility, the distribution of affect, and regimes of permissible desires. An analytical distinction is introduced between three states of female gnosis – refusal, authorship, and bodily pleroma – and the limits of these regimes are demonstrated in cases of bodily and mythological otherness. The conclusion is drawn about the formation of a regime of "hegemony of incompleteness" in media culture, where feminist power is understood as the right to reassemble the symbolic order while preserving cracks and open otherness. This clarifies the understanding of contemporary media culture as a field of competing gnostic myths.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):47-89
47-89
Traditions of neon advertising in Hong Kong and the USA
摘要
The subject of this research is the traditions of neon advertising in Hong Kong and the USA, examined as two key and simultaneously contrasting phenomena of global visual culture. The analysis encompasses the historical development of neon advertising from the 1920s to the present, as well as its aesthetic, semiotic, and spatial-urban characteristics. Special attention is paid to comparing the principles of form-making, artistic expressiveness, information structuring, and the interaction of neon objects with the architectural environment. Within the framework of the research, the study investigates how the American tradition, focused on creating large-scale, visually autonomous objects, contrasts with the Hong Kong model, characterized by high density, vertical multi-layering, and a rich polychromatic environment. The subject of the research also includes an analysis of the reasons for the contemporary crisis of neon advertising and the factors influencing its transformation in the context of technological and urban planning changes. The research is based on an interdisciplinary methodology that combines cultural, urban, semiotic, and art studies analyses to compare the historical, aesthetic, and spatial characteristics of neon advertising in Hong Kong and the USA. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive comparative analysis of the two largest global centers of neon culture—Hong Kong and the USA—through the lens of their historical trajectories, artistic principles, and semiotic systems. For the first time, not only the visual and compositional features of neon signs are compared, but also their interaction with architecture, their role in shaping urban identity, and their degree of influence on the cultural perception of the urban environment. The findings of the research show that the American tradition has evolved towards creating monumental, autonomous visual objects, while the Hong Kong model relied on a dense vertical structure and a multiplicity of visual signals. It is established that both traditions are experiencing a contemporary crisis due to the technological replacement of neon by LED systems, economic constraints, and changes in urban planning standards. The work emphasizes the importance of preserving neon heritage as a valuable cultural phenomenon and the necessity of developing strategies for its protection and rethinking in modern conditions.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):90-100
90-100
Visionary Art of Aboriginal Peoples in Foreign Scientific Works
摘要
This article focuses on the phenomenon of the visionary origins of art as a key factor in the development of creativity among indigenous peoples. The subject of the study is theoretical and empirical data drawn from international anthropological and ethnographic sources documenting the visionary origins of the art of indigenous peoples around the world. The object of the study is the indigenous art of peoples living in shamanic traditions. The article examines D. Lewis-Williams's neuropsychological theory of the origins of indigenous art. The authors pay particular attention to the documentation by anthropologists and ethnographers of the creation of images by indigenous peoples across different continents and countries as a result of altered states of consciousness. Considerable attention is given to works containing extensive studies of indigenous art. These works are of value to Russian art criticism. This article presents an analysis of international scholarly sources supporting the concept of the visionary origins of Aboriginal art. The primary research method utilized was historiographical analysis of anthropological and ethnographic works from the late 19th century to the present. The sources presented in the article are arranged chronologically. The novelty of this work lies in the fact that it is the first Russian art criticism review of international scholarly works describing the process of creating works of art by contemporary Aboriginal peoples in an altered state of consciousness. The article presents a list of sources and citations confirming the visionary origins of Aboriginal art worldwide. The scientific novelty of this work includes the professional translation from English into Russian of citations from international sources on the topic of the study. The authors actively contribute to the development of a source and methodological base for Russian ethno-art studies studying the art of local Aboriginal peoples. This study proposes applying the international paradigm of the visionary origins of art to the study of the art of the indigenous peoples of the Northeast and Far East of Russia. The main conclusion of this study is the assertion that the art of all Aboriginal peoples of the world, including Russia, is visionary, that is, its source is a shamanic trance (an altered state of consciousness). In the future, for the study of the art of aboriginal peoples, it is proposed to use a neuropsychological model of the origin of this art as a methodological basis.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):101-112
101-112
Repetition and Difference: Gilles Deleuze and the Creative Legacy of Gilbert Simondon
摘要
The article is dedicated to the systematic analysis of the creative reception and fundamental transformation of the heritage of Gilbert Simondon within the philosophical project of Gilles Deleuze. The aim of the research is to demonstrate that the ontology of process developed by Simondon, as a counterpoint to substantial metaphysics and the hilemorphic scheme, became a key ontological foundation for Deleuze. The work argues that concepts such as individuation, the pre-individual field, metastability, and transduction were not merely borrowed but underwent radical theoretical reworking. As a result of this operation, they were scaled from the level of describing specific physical-biological processes to the level of a universal ontology, which underpinned Deleuze's metaphysics of difference. Furthermore, Deleuze transforms the Simondonian method of "starting from the middle" into a transcendental logic of synthesis, and he modifies the intentional understanding of space-time into a doctrine of the spatial aspect of the intensive and pure form of time. The methodological approach of the study is based on the sequential application of complementary methods: textual and conceptual-genetic analysis to identify and trace the transformation of key concepts of Simondon within Deleuze's system. Additionally, comparative analysis and philosophical hermeneutics are employed to identify zones of divergence and interpret the systemic consequences of the identified borrowings. This synthetic approach allows for not only stating the influence but also revealing its creative, constructive nature in the formation of the metaphysics of difference. The relevance and novelty of the research are defined by the necessity to overcome the simplified reading of Simondon's influence on poststructuralist thought as merely one of many sources. Unlike existing approaches, in this article, reception is understood as a system-forming act, in which there is no borrowing of terms but an ontological re-equipping of the entire Deleuze project. The scientific novelty lies in the consistent identification of three levels of transformation: 1) ontological (generalization of the pre-individual to the virtual as a universal principle of differentiation); 2) methodological (the transformation of transduction into transcendental empiricism and the synthesis of time); 3) spatial-temporal (the transition from relative parameters of the process to absolute conditions of the thinkable as such). Thus, the article contributes to a deeper understanding of the genealogy of key concepts in contemporary philosophy and opens up prospects for their application in the fields of speculative realism, the philosophy of techniques, and new materialisms.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):113-140
113-140
The perception of altruism in the philosophical and ethical concept of P. A. Sorokin
摘要
The author deals with such aspects of Sorokin's theory as the correlation of the human world with the natural world, the laws of sociality and cultural norms. It is suggested that man is an integral universe in himself, a mind, a superconscious creator who creates culture. The subject of the study is the concept developed by P. A. Sorokin, drawing its ideas from the positivist theory of O. Comte, and the object is the positioning of altruism in the built integral supersystem. As a methodology, it is worth highlighting the hermeneutic method, which was used in the study of sources, the author also used the structural and functional method, which helps to identify internal interdependent relationships, through which each element or phenomenon of culture, occupying its own place, acquires a special cultural meaning, or supersense. Here we can talk about the construction of the basic normative regulations of culture, the production of cultural artifacts, as well as the creation of society as a cultural phenomenon, or the production of a "cultural person." The novelty of the research lies in the manifestation of the idea that public consent to total altruism as the dominant form of socialization will inevitably lead to the loss of the "natural right" to individual freedom and a unique human destiny. The main conclusion that can be drawn from the results of the study is that universal altruism, being one of the positivistically based practices, relies on religiously oriented technologies rooted in society when implementing "altruistic love."
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):141-154
141-154
Western Neoplasticism and Eastern Aesthetics: On the Issue of Mutual Cultural Influences in the 20th Century
摘要
The article is dedicated to exploring the profound ontological connections between Western neoplasticism of Piet Mondrian and the artistic practices of 20th-century Chinese modernism. The aim of the work is to identify and analyze the transcultural dialogue that transcends formal parallels through a comparative study of the works of Mondrian and key figures of Chinese abstraction: Wu Guanzhong, Ding Yi, Zhao Wuzhi, Li Huashen, and Wang Guangyi. Special attention is given to the category of “emptiness” (śūnyatā, xū), which is viewed as a focal point of cultural transfer revealing the structural unity of Western and Eastern approaches to expressing the inexpressible essence of being. For the first time, the works of Mondrian and Chinese masters are examined through the lens of dialectical synthesis of their philosophical foundations—Theosophy on one side, and Daoism with Chan Buddhism on the other. The foundation of the work lies in a comprehensive comparative analysis that allows the comparison of the philosophical and aesthetic principles of the works of Mondrian and key representatives of Chinese abstraction (Wu Guanzhong, Ding Yi, Zhao Wuzhi, Li Huashen, Wang Guangyi). The research is built on the principles of an interdisciplinary approach that combines methods from art studies, cultural studies, and philosophy. For the first time, the works of Mondrian and Chinese masters are investigated through the prism of dialectical synthesis of their philosophical foundations—Theosophy on one side, and Daoism with Chan Buddhism on the other. The results of the research indicate that the reception of neoplasticism in China was not a mere appropriation but a profound dialogue during which both traditions underwent transformation. The main conclusion of the research asserts that Chinese artists, by reinterpreting the formal language of Western abstraction, brought forth the archetypes of their own aesthetics, leading to the formation of unique artistic systems. The conclusions of the work confirm that the transcultural dialogue centered around the concept of emptiness demonstrates the universality of fundamental artistic and philosophical intuitions and reveals the mechanisms of productive cultural exchange during the era of modernism.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):155-169
155-169
Amateur stayer running through the prism of American transcendentalism and pragmatism. Part II
摘要
Philosophical understanding of the importance of amateur stayer practices for the comprehensive development of a person and the promotion of this kind of physical activity is an urgent task, given the generally small number of people who regularly practice this type of physical activity. The center of the formation and spread of amateur running movement in the world is the United States, which allows us to make an assumption about the stimulation of running activity by the peculiarities of their national culture. The subject of consideration is the cultural content and humanistic potential of the running practices of amateur stayers, explicated through the worldview and categorical apparatus of the main directions of classical American philosophy - transcendentalism and pragmatism, the choice of which is due to their ideological features, most suitable for the study of the existence of a "running man" ‒ democracy, holism, meliorism and focus on the experience of everyday life in everything its diversity. The methodology of the subject area of the study used the historical method, the method of categorization, the descriptive method, the method of analysis. The second part of the article is devoted to the study of the influence of the ideological heritage of the American pragmatists C. S. Pierce, W. James and J. Dewey on the development of mass stayer running. This influence is seen in the fact that pragmatists considered it important to live in the tension associated with the transformation of the impossible by a person into the possible, which forms the horizon of meaningfulness of life. Unlike joggers, semi-professional runners, who are close to the worldview of pragmatists, are focused not on expanding the running experience, but on deepening it, which allows them to discover aspects of running locomotion that are inaccessible without significant stress, long-term practices, asceticism and risk, the most effective in their humanizing power. The key themes of pragmatism, important for the formation of the conceptual equipment of semi-professional running practices, are the desire for meliorism as a constant deepening into the running experience in order to increasingly reveal their potential; reliance on an experimental method in the training process, a positive attitude to the risk inevitable in long-distance running; faith in their ability to resist pain; habits to compliance with the regime; a playful attitude to running activities as valuable in themselves; recognition of the motivating value of meditative and mystical experiences; dynamism of fronesis; readiness for extreme actions and experiences.
Philosophy and Culture. 2025;(11):170-186
170-186