Intro video
Walter benjamin (1892-1940)
The frankfurt school and critical theory
Critical of german discovery thought
Making sense of the post war Germany through applying philosophy
Central idea is liberating working class
Value is determined by exchange value according to capitalists, they want to
determine value by essence of thing
They fleed to usa and were unhappy by how culture and art were expressed, it
becomes industrialized “culture industry” as a manipulation of masses
Every object is worth researching
Concept of aura, need to be present to experience artefact, only possessed by the
original
Fascism as a product of spectacle
Seminar
Anti-fascist and relationship btw art and facism
Critical towards capitalism because of facism, as he was embedded in difficult
personal situation during the war
New way of reproduction chance to overcome facism and practice revolutionary
change
Issues of mechanical reproduction; aura (here and now quality of artefact, unique
existence) is being lost
notion of aura is negative for Benjamin, hes in favor of loss of aura cause this
prohibits access of artwork for masses, mechanical reproduction allows art to
circulate more—difference to adorno
Aura is related to essence of artwork
Authenticity?! Copies miss original authenticity
Cult value vs exhibition value, mechanical reproduction focuses in exhibition value
Notion of tradition and ritual, mechanical reproduction makes art free from
dependance of ritual
From photography to film, it changes the way how performance is understood,
camera contributes to this difference (compared and contrast to theater), film is
halfway btw reality and illusion, film is constantly made by technical practices and
repeated shots and also edited-> continuous way of improving performance, risky as
form of art -> can expand knowledge or tool for facism to thrive as they can promote
their ideology to mass
For benjamin, art can be mean for political actions/ radical movements
Facism is rendering (wiedergeben) aestethics, communsim responds by politizing art
1. How does Benjamin relate the workings of the camera with psychoanalysis?
Walter benjamin (1892-1940)
The frankfurt school and critical theory
Critical of german discovery thought
Making sense of the post war Germany through applying philosophy
Central idea is liberating working class
Value is determined by exchange value according to capitalists, they want to
determine value by essence of thing
They fleed to usa and were unhappy by how culture and art were expressed, it
becomes industrialized “culture industry” as a manipulation of masses
Every object is worth researching
Concept of aura, need to be present to experience artefact, only possessed by the
original
Fascism as a product of spectacle
Seminar
Anti-fascist and relationship btw art and facism
Critical towards capitalism because of facism, as he was embedded in difficult
personal situation during the war
New way of reproduction chance to overcome facism and practice revolutionary
change
Issues of mechanical reproduction; aura (here and now quality of artefact, unique
existence) is being lost
notion of aura is negative for Benjamin, hes in favor of loss of aura cause this
prohibits access of artwork for masses, mechanical reproduction allows art to
circulate more—difference to adorno
Aura is related to essence of artwork
Authenticity?! Copies miss original authenticity
Cult value vs exhibition value, mechanical reproduction focuses in exhibition value
Notion of tradition and ritual, mechanical reproduction makes art free from
dependance of ritual
From photography to film, it changes the way how performance is understood,
camera contributes to this difference (compared and contrast to theater), film is
halfway btw reality and illusion, film is constantly made by technical practices and
repeated shots and also edited-> continuous way of improving performance, risky as
form of art -> can expand knowledge or tool for facism to thrive as they can promote
their ideology to mass
For benjamin, art can be mean for political actions/ radical movements
Facism is rendering (wiedergeben) aestethics, communsim responds by politizing art
1. How does Benjamin relate the workings of the camera with psychoanalysis?
