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May
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2025
2025 05 29

The Museum of Imagination and Contemporary Art



May 28, 2025

In the previous part of my philosophical reflections, we explored the issues and significance of imagination. Today, we will address the relationship between imagination and contemporary art. Let's begin with the subject of contemporary art. What is contemporary art? When did it emerge? Who represents it? What works define its specificity? Is postmodernism synonymous with contemporary art? Or perhaps pop art? Or abstract art? As we can see, many questions arise. So where should we start? Perhaps, like analytical philosophers, it is best to begin with a definition? Let us therefore look for a definition of "contemporary art."

What is contemporary art? As one might assume, contemporary art is the art of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. However, as we know, all such dating is more or less conventional. This is not to relativize the issue, but to highlight that the transitions between periods in art are largely a matter of accepted convention. The same goes for paradigms in art. Although there is always a certain mainstream in art that dominates, this does not mean that works are not created that transcend that paradigm — works that do not fit the prevailing fashion in art.

Therefore, it is difficult to definitively determine what constitutes contemporary art and what does not. Again, it must be emphasized that the concept of art should not be relativized, as some phenomena, although considered art by some, generally do not fit the canon of art. While art is indeed a broad category, not everything can be considered art, contrary to Marcel Duchamp’s concept. Phenomena that go beyond art include kitsch and inauthentic or false art.

So, what criteria should we adopt for art? Is it beauty? Perfection? Harmony? Aesthetic or artistic value? Originality? Imagination? Expressiveness? Authenticity? Creative freedom? It is difficult to state definitively. One can only say that the criteria of art are subject to the changing nature of the concept itself. For some periods, beauty will be the most important marker of art, for others harmony, for yet others expression or originality.

Let us leave this issue to art historians and focus on questions belonging to the realm of the philosophy of art. Among such matters is the concept of imagination, which is the main category of “a critique of aesthetic reason.” One could say that imagination is the starting point of art, determining its originality, authenticity, and freedom. One could say that contemporary art resides in a "museum of imagination," constitutes its content, while imagination defines its form.

What is more important — imagination or art? In my opinion, imagination is the broader and more important concept, as a faculty of the mind that helps to anticipate phenomena, change their context, meaning, and significance. This does not mean that art, especially contemporary art, lacks value. On the contrary. Art is a complementary concept to imagination; it is not only its product but also a goal of human creative pursuits.

Thus, there should be coherence between imagination and art, just as between reason and reality. Moreover, it is worth adding that imagination is not some transcendent entity but a property of human reason, arising from one’s reflections and experiences. In other words, what matters is not only the individual context but also the social and cultural one, as art does not emerge from a vacuum — it is not a creatio ex nihilo. It is also worth mentioning that phenomena such as virtual reality represent a significant — perhaps even the most significant — manifestation of contemporary art. Additionally, it should be noted that art is both the nourishment and the creation of imagination, such that a feedback loop forms between them. This is precisely why contemporary art plays such a crucial role in the development of the imagination of both the individual and society as a whole.

Marek Wojnicki