Udgangspunktet for at skrive denne opgave er interessen for at undersøge,hvorvidt det lykkes den relationelle kunst at indtage en kritisk position idagens samfund. I en verdensorden, hvor kapitalismens varegørelse kan synesat have indoptaget kunstens kritiske potentiale, kan det være svært atforestille sig den position, hvorfra kunsten skulle have en reel politisk ogsocial betydning. Ikke desto mindre er det min grundlæggende antagelse, atkunsten har og altid vil have en priviligeret mulighed for at opfordrebeskueren til at stille spørgsmålstegn ved det bestående.På baggrund af en kritisk tekstanalyse af Nicolas Bourriauds essaysamlingEsthetique Relationelle (1998) hvor blandt andre teoretikerne Claire Bishop,Stewart Martin og Grant Kester inddrages til en nuanceret diskussion. Samtgennem en analyse af værkerne It is What it Is, Conversations About Iraq og TheAmerican War. –Argumenterer jeg for, at den relationelle æstetik ikke formårat skabe en reel kritik af de sociale og politiske diskurser som omgiver os alle.Der efterlades dog et lille håb for kritikken idet Bishop, inspireret af denBelgiske teoretiker Chantal Mouffe, introducerer ideen om antagonismen sommulig kritikbærer. / The primary foundation for writing this thesis originates from my interestin, whether or not there exists a critical potential, within the art form ofrelational aesthetics. In a World order, where capitalism seems to overshadowthe critical potential within the arts, it can be difficult to imagine the position,from where art could have a significant influence in changing political andsocial issues. Regardless, it is my fundamental belief, that art will always havea privileged possibility of urging the viewer to question the existing.Grounded in a critical text analysis of Nicolas Bourriuads’ essay collection,Estetique Relationelle (1998), where, amongst other theorists, Clare Bishop,Stewart Martin and Grant Kester are implicated for a nuanced discussion.Accompanied by an analysis of the two relational works; It is What it Is,Conversations About Iraq and The American War, -This thesis argues thatrelational aesthetics does not succeed in creating a real critique of the socialand political structures that surrounds us.Though, Bishop, inspired by the Belgian theorist Chantal Moueffe,introduces the idea of the antagonism as a possible critique carrier, and herebyleaves a fragment of hope for critique.