The Art Context

Thierry de Duve has argued that the way in which we view art is in part determined by our knowledge (or belief) that it is art. We see an object differently, thanks to Duchamp, because of the context within which it is placed. In the art world the context is the ‘authentic’ site of art appreciation. So Carl Andre’s fire bricks are ‘art’ in the gallery, but are they still ‘art’ if placed in a brick-making factory?

When we enter a gallery or museum we are ‘primed’ to view art. We expect art. Is it possible to play with the expectations of the viewer, by playing with the conventions of art reception? By playing with the boundaries between the gallery and the ‘outside’ world?

What is the boundary between the ‘art-world’ and the ‘rest-of-the-world’?