Week 4 - V.A.P.C - ''The Work of Art'' by Walter Benjamin

Walter Benjamin’s essay is mostly centered around the concepts of mechanical reproduction and his definition of aura and how it affects art. Before print appeared in the 1900s, it was impossible to perfectly reproduce any work of art. Every piece was unique and had its own historical background, but they were also hidden to the public because of their religious implications, since art originally emanated from objects meant to be used in rituals or ceremonies. Because of mechanical reproduction, such artworks were now available to a much larger audience and therefore changed the purpose of art itself. Now, ‘the exhibition value shows its superiority to the ritual value’ and the way artworks are created revolves around this statement. Art gains entirely new functions. In response to this new era in the realm of art and to the new range of exhibition brought by mechanical reproduction, Benjamin introduced us to his definition of aura, which is basically the uniqueness in time and space of an original work of art.

It is impossible while reading this text to avoid questioning whether or not an piece of art loses its aura when it is being reproduced. Benjamin seems to be convinced that a work of art’s aura depends on its uniqueness, meaning the time and place in which it was created. He argues that mechanical reproduction diminishes these aspects of an artwork and therefore makes it lose its authority. While part of our team agreed with Benjamin and supported his opinion in saying that the unique historical context of an artwork makes it even stronger and meaningful and that reproducing it industrially makes it lose its very essence, some of us disagreed. Those who disagreed introduced the idea that there could still be a sentimental value to an art piece, even though it is the copy of an original. A copy is often the only available version of an artwork for the public and can be purchased as decoration. The person buying it might feel profoundly connected to the artwork and be able to appreciate its quality even if it is not the original, and even if they are buying it in a completely different context. They are in a way creating their own version of the aura of the work. A new birth for an already existing artwork.

At the end of our meeting, one of our teammates pointed out a really interesting question that we did not get the chance to elaborate, but we think is still worth mentioning. It goes like this: If a unique and sacred religious statue that was preserved for many years were to be destroyed and reproduced, would the copy still be worshipped?