Nicolas Bourriaud - Art of the 1990s, Relational Aesthetics

It was nice to return to the source after the merits (or not) of Relational Aesthetics, especially framed in a socio-political/'issue' type way, have kept coming up in crits. I have always quite enjoyed the parallels between some relational practices and direct action tactic activism, described in the article by Felix Guattari - 'Just as I think it is illusory to aim at a step-by-step transformation of society, so I think that microscopic attempts, of the community and neighbourhood committee type, the organisation of day-nurseries in the faculty, and the like, play an absolutely crucial role' (31). But here I think Bourriaud gives us an art historical account that arrives at Relational Aesthetics without that (necessarily), and so is worth keeping in mind. Bourriaud suggests the relational based art of the 1990s can be seen as a natural progression from both the beginning/historical functions of art, as well as quite directly from some of the features of 1960s-70s conceptual art. Bourriaud proposes a beginning for art's shift to the 'relational' - the Renaissance turn from art's aim of religious communcation to exploring relations between 'Man and the world' (27). And, he suggests, this relational focus has remained with art since (28):

"Essentially, though, the history of art can be read like the history of successive external relational fields, propped up by practices determined by the internal development of these fields. It is the history of the production of relations with the world, as publicised by a class of objects and specific practices."

Bourriaud then addresses what he views as the second relational turn - 1990s art practices 'focused upon the sphere of inter-human relations'. Particularly interesting (to me right now), was the way he framed this as arriving out of some of the formal structures of older conceptual art. For example, the way performance relied on an arrangement between the artist and audience - it would 'elapse within a factual time, for an audience summoned by the artist', thus the form of the work 'prompts meetings and invites appointments' (29).

Bourriaud goes on to give examples of other types of relational work, including some others with similar formal relationalships to earlier conceptual art. As mentioned earlier, it was nice to be reminded of this formal and art historical story of Relational Aesthetics.

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This doesn't fit in anywhere, but I found it interesting - when I was talking to David about how he liked this reading, he had a kind of criticism of Relational Aesthetic art-marking that I hadn't really heard or thought of, but was immediately quite relatable (!): sometimes it is nice to make and experience art alone.

Work cited:
Bourriaud, Nicolas. "Art of the 1990s". Relational Aesthetics. Paris: les presses de réel, 2002. p 25-40.