A Study On The Relational Aesthetics Of Nicolas Bourriaud

Nicolas Bourriaud is an important contemporary art theory critic and artist in France.With the public publication of his theoretical monograph Relationship Aesthetics,he has received widespread attention from the Western art theory criticism community.The proposal of relational aesthetics is based on contemporary art practice and is a summary of its development laws.It takes Althusser’s "stochastic materialism" as the philosophical foundation,starting from the game and combining it with the rapid development of the commodity economy,to analyze how relational aesthetics utilizes the aesthetic activities of the audience and creates a "relational space" through relational art to bridge the gradually dispersed interpersonal relationships of the public due to excessive "objectification".Relational aesthetics uses the method of structuralism to construct its theory,so its essence is a "formal theory".It defines contemporary art practice in terms of "form" and regards"relationship" as the explanatory paradigm of contemporary art,meeting the aesthetic needs of people in a commercialized society.It is a response to the "end of art".But different from structuralism,relational aesthetics still pays attention to the subjective status of human beings.In the process of artistic practice,it takes human beings as the main body to build the relationship between people.The "relationship" here refers to the "potential relationship" that exists between individuals,but can only be stimulated through artistic practice.Relationship aesthetics allows artistic practice to intervene in public life,narrowing the distance between art and the public,and invisibly rebuilding the relationship between the two.Relationship aesthetics also has theoretical limitations.Ranciere and Bishop’s critique of relational aesthetics has inspired the contemplation of this issue.In addition,the problems such as the difficulty of realizing relationship aesthetics and the tendency of "anthropocentrism" also deserve our in-depth consideration.Relationship aesthetics is a theoretical concept proposed by Bourriaud on the construction of relationships between people from the perspective of art and aesthetics.It is a criticism of the lack of human subjectivity status under the excessive development of commodity economy society and a concern for individual human life.