The political space of aesthetics

The question of whether aesthetic reflection can contribute to shaping a form of knowledge of reality – and to understanding and guiding the transformation of social reality by imbuing it with a renewed critical perspective –can no longer be postponed, lest intellectual activity be reduced to mere academic self-sufficiency. We are thus compelled to consider whether aesthetic reflection should remain confined tothe neutral and abstract realm of spiritual contemplation, or whether it ought to engage with the impulses and potentialities inherited from twentieth-century thinkers: a century deeply marked by dramatic and catastrophic events. Exploring the relationship between aesthetics and politics, as well as aesthetics and society, can foster a more conscious awareness of the present, including its sensitive and artistic dimensions. This awareness may serve as a key to transformation and change, born of the critical capacity inherent in aesthetic reflection.