This essay is one part of my Bachelor’s degree project, the other part being the dance performance OUR VISIONIS FROM HELL. / 34°10'26.6"N 118°39'50.4"W, which was presented in November 2022 at Stockholm University of the Arts. The work was inspired by certain events around the breakup between musician Kanye West and reality star Kim Kardashian. The text aims to further articulate, explain and discuss the topics of the piece, which were heartbreak, violence and pop culture in the arts, as well as referencing the American writers bell hooks and Susan Sontag and their approach to these issues. The essay also goes into the research, conversations and different thinking processes from and within the work. The text is written as a fictional letter to Kanye West and desires to question and criticize his behavior during the fall of 2022.

Ce mémoire interroge le rapport développé dans Maîtres anciens de Thomas Bernhard entre l’écriture littéraire, la pensée philosophique et le kitsch. Au-delà de la supposition surprenante que la philosophie puisse être affaire de goût, de séduction et de sentiments, l’analyse de la notion de kitsch philosophique permet d’envisager le discours critique comme une arme à double tranchant qui promet autant l’émancipation que l’autoaliénation du Kitschmensch pensant. C’est à travers la figure de Reger, protagoniste de la comédie orchestrée par Bernhard, que s’incarne cette perspective critique paradoxale qui témoigne de problèmes de légitimation et d’un scepticisme croissant face aux promesses des grands récits émancipateurs. À l’examen de cette mise en scène de la philosophie, apparaît une manière proprement littéraire de « penser la pensée ». Ce mémoire veut rendre compte de ce en quoi la pensée littéraire se distingue de l’essai philosophique mais aussi de tout autre métadiscours. La littérature, car elle montre plus qu’elle n’affirme, conséquemment permet de comprendre les points de contact et de tension entre la philosophie et le kitsch, entre la culture et la barbarie, d’une manière toute particulière. C’est cette particularité qui fait l’objet de cette étude et qui est considérée comme une forme de résistance à la commodification, la vanité, la domestication, bref la kitschification de la pensée critique. / In critically examining Thomas Bernhard’s Old Masters, this essay questions the relations between literary writing, philosophical thought and kitsch. Beyond the surprising assumption that philosophy might also be a matter of taste, seduction and sentiments, analyzing the notion of philosophical kitsch allows for consideration of critical discourse as a double-edged sword that promises not only the emancipation but also the autoalienation of the thinking Kitschmensch. The figure of Reger, the principal character in Bernhard’s orchestrated comedy, embodies this paradoxical critical perspective. This paradox of kitsch critical thought attests to problems of legitimation that arise alongside a growing scepticism towards the claims of grand emancipatory narratives. This examination of philosophy’s mise en scène in the novel allows for perceiving a specifically literary mode of thinking. This essay suggests that literary thinking differs from philosophical exposition as well as from metadiscourse generally. Literature, because it shows more than it affirms, therefore allows for understanding in a very specific manner the similarities and tensions between philosophy and kitsch, culture and barbarism. In sum, this study focuses in this literary specificity that comes to appear as a form of resistance to commodification, vanity, domestication – in short, to the kitschification of critical thought.

This thesis is based on a detailed analysis of various topics related to the question of whether video games can be art. In the first place it analyzes the current academic discussion on this subject and confronts different opinions of both supporters and objectors of the idea, that video games can be a full-fledged art form. The second point of this paper is to analyze the properties, that are inherent to video games, in order to find the reason, why cultural elite considers video games as inferior in relation to traditional forms of art. In addition to features of games like entertainment, competitivness and unproductivity, this part examines the circumstances that have an impact on current game design, like mass popularity and game developers pandering to wide audiance. Due to these circumstances, the majority of video games can be considered kitsch. Following passage through the application of theory of kitsch on specific video game shows and identifies tendencies in game design that cause this condition. Conclusion of the second chapter, however, shows that some video games exhibit characteristics that are generally regarded as positive elements of art works and by that they avoid being branded as kitsch. The last part of this thesis, based on cluster theory of art, identifies and analyzes...

Ce mémoire a été réalisé en réaction à la rapide disparition des commerces à thématiques kitsch exotiques au Québec. Puisque ces lieux reçoivent habituellement peu de considération, et qu'ils sont souvent pris pour acquis, aucune forme d'histoire n'a été réalisée pour la plupart d'entre eux, rendant ainsi difficile leur appropriation collective. Nous sommes conscients que ce sujet mériterait probablement une recherche et un document plus exhaustif, mais espérons tout de même établir ici une base qui nous mènera à un approfondissement du sujet. Le corpus exploré se divise en deux catégories : les endroits ayant un décor kitsch exprimé à travers une thématique exotique internationale et ceux ayant une thématique exotique vernaculaire. Les commerces ciblés se sont établis entre 1950 et 1980, majoritairement à Montréal, ainsi que des exemples dispersés à travers la province. Puisque le sujet est peu documenté, des méthodes de travail moins traditionnelles ont été développées pour l'identification des lieux et de leur histoire, telles que la recherche de terrain, le dépouillement de guides touristiques et l'enquête orale. Afin de mieux comprendre de quelle façon nous utilisons les termes kitsch et exotisme, nous explorerons ces notions dans un premier chapitre. Le corps du travail tend à présenter les diverses catégories de kitsch exotique, leur contexte d'émergence et des exemples de commerces représentatifs. En guise de conclusion, nous explorons les problématiques à une éventuelle reconnaissance patrimoniale, les actions concrètes à poser, ainsi que les valeurs à considérer en vue d'une possible patrimonialisation. Avec cette recherche, nous avons pu identifier plus d'une centaine de lieux divisés sous plusieurs styles exotiques. Suite à ces résultats, immerge l'existence tangible d'une tradition de lieux immersifs dans lesquels les stéréotypes culturels sont à l'honneur. En examinant les cadres d'évaluation patrimoniaux actuels, nous pouvons mieux saisir en quoi l'éventuel travail de reconnaissance consistera afin de préserver les derniers témoins d'une tradition kitsch exotique québécoise. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : kitsch, exotisme, patrimoine, Montréal, Québec, commerces, 1950, 1960, 1970

Ce mémoire interroge le rapport développé dans Maîtres anciens de Thomas Bernhard entre l’écriture littéraire, la pensée philosophique et le kitsch. Au-delà de la supposition surprenante que la philosophie puisse être affaire de goût, de séduction et de sentiments, l’analyse de la notion de kitsch philosophique permet d’envisager le discours critique comme une arme à double tranchant qui promet autant l’émancipation que l’autoaliénation du Kitschmensch pensant. C’est à travers la figure de Reger, protagoniste de la comédie orchestrée par Bernhard, que s’incarne cette perspective critique paradoxale qui témoigne de problèmes de légitimation et d’un scepticisme croissant face aux promesses des grands récits émancipateurs. À l’examen de cette mise en scène de la philosophie, apparaît une manière proprement littéraire de « penser la pensée ». Ce mémoire veut rendre compte de ce en quoi la pensée littéraire se distingue de l’essai philosophique mais aussi de tout autre métadiscours. La littérature, car elle montre plus qu’elle n’affirme, conséquemment permet de comprendre les points de contact et de tension entre la philosophie et le kitsch, entre la culture et la barbarie, d’une manière toute particulière. C’est cette particularité qui fait l’objet de cette étude et qui est considérée comme une forme de résistance à la commodification, la vanité, la domestication, bref la kitschification de la pensée critique. / In critically examining Thomas Bernhard’s Old Masters, this essay questions the relations between literary writing, philosophical thought and kitsch. Beyond the surprising assumption that philosophy might also be a matter of taste, seduction and sentiments, analyzing the notion of philosophical kitsch allows for consideration of critical discourse as a double-edged sword that promises not only the emancipation but also the autoalienation of the thinking Kitschmensch. The figure of Reger, the principal character in Bernhard’s orchestrated comedy, embodies this paradoxical critical perspective. This paradox of kitsch critical thought attests to problems of legitimation that arise alongside a growing scepticism towards the claims of grand emancipatory narratives. This examination of philosophy’s mise en scène in the novel allows for perceiving a specifically literary mode of thinking. This essay suggests that literary thinking differs from philosophical exposition as well as from metadiscourse generally. Literature, because it shows more than it affirms, therefore allows for understanding in a very specific manner the similarities and tensions between philosophy and kitsch, culture and barbarism. In sum, this study focuses in this literary specificity that comes to appear as a form of resistance to commodification, vanity, domestication – in short, to the kitschification of critical thought.

No description available.

This thesis takes a closer look at the phenomena of taste in relation to kitsch, art and luxury, analyzing a visual campaign, by the luxury brand Louis Vuitton. The visual campaign is made by Louis Vuitton to promote a collaboration with the postmodern artist Cindy Sherman. In her art Cindy Sherman is stepping away from modern aesthetics turning towards nostalgia and, anti- elitism. In a provocative act she brings in traits of kitsch and other pop cultural references to her art and exposes it to a conflicted art world. Using the well accommodated theoretical framework by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, I seek to understand the underlying class related aspects of taste occurring in the collaboration between the two. In doing so I investigate the very use of Pierre Bourdieu’s theories it self, and I look to answer how these can help with revelation in a contemporary context. Later the use of Roland Barthes theories on modern myths, will be brought into play, when I shell decode the overall mythical story on taste, that Louis Vuitton, wishes to communicate through the campaign. It shell be concluded that Pierre Bourdieu’s theories, was very helpfull with pointing out the campaigns connection to cultural capital and different classified expressions of taste, that connects it to a growing middelclass, who wants an access to the world of luxury. In the very end I debate the question of taste looking forward, taking into consideration Bourdieu’s critics, to whom the classification of taste is a relic from the past.

Forman, D .: Curious World. Possibilities of applicatiom of the theme in pedagogic practise. [Diploma thesis] Prague 2015 - Charles University, Faculty of Education, Department of Fine Arts, 79 p. (Attachments 7 artistic realizations - oil paintings small and medium size) The thesis is based on a comprehensive comparsion of major interpretation avant-garde art and the modernist thinking, which determined crucially interpretation of the most important events in the art history of 20th century. This work brings together three major confrontations looks at the intentions of selected representatives of avant-garde art and focuses on problematic moment of "interruption" the progression of the avant-garde by socialist realism. Three positions are views of art theorists Clement Greenberg, Theodor Adorno and Boris Groys. Didactic part of this thesis is realized by art education series, which is inspidated by this topic. It focuses on understanding the most basic principles of geometric abstraction, constructivism and abstract expressionism by students. The artwork is also inspired by this topic, it contains the collection of oil paintings. Keywords: avant-garde, kitsch, socialist realism, interpretation of art, art discourse, comparsion, Greenberg, Groys, Adorno

This diploma thesis explores the phenomenon of kitsch. One of the aims of the thesis is to address significant theories (H. Broch, M. Kundera, P. Rezek and T. Kulka) and to analyze them further in relation to the central concept of Umberto Eco, which defines kitsch as a communication. According to Eco, kitsch is not to be defined solely by the structural qualities of the work, but also by the intention that the author creates and by the means that the work is later perceived by the audience. The focus of this thesis is to be pointed not on the kitsch as a definition of a certain type of object and its aesthetic evaluation, but rather on the attitudes and interpretations that transform objects and thoughts into kitsch. Another aim of the thesis is to mark a possible shift in conception of kitsch in context of the changes brought by the age of new media - the changes that radically change the ways of communication, and the organization of society, too. Such change proposes the use of kitsch both as an emotional and simplifying approach. Kitsch, in its wider conception, becomes a pervasive and actual phenomenon. In addition to the characteristics of new media, the thesis uses the concept of Cyberculture by Pierre Lévy and the Liquid Times theory of Zygmunt Bauman. In its conclusion, the thesis attempts to...

Key Words: Comparatistics, Intertextuality, Essayism, Esem, Milan Kundera, Ričardas Gavelis, Laughter, Kitsch, Vulgarity, Carnevalism, Thanatos, Sexuality This comparativist thesis discusses the intelectual novel of the end of the 20th century. The study objects chosen for this paper were the works of Ričardas Gavelis and Milan Kundera. Due to the differences in the poetics of the works, it was chosen to analyze four works of each writer's large prose. In the case of Gavelis they are as follows: Vilnius Poker (Vilniaus pokeris, novel, 1989), Vilnius Jazz (Vilniaus džiazas, novel, 1993), The Last Generation of People on Earth (Paskutinioji Žemės žmonių karta, novel, 1995) and Six Ways of Suicide (Septyni savižudybės būdai, novel, 1999). From Kundera's works we picked out The Farewell Party (Valčík na rozloučenou, novel,1972), The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (Knihou smíchu a zapomnění, novel, 1978), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Nesnesitelnou lehkostí bytí, novel, 1984) a Immortality (Nesmrtelnost in french, 1990, in czech 1993). One of the main aims of this study is to introduce the Czech reader to Ričardas Gavelis: one of the most important and influential writers of Lithuanian literature of the late 20th century. The works of this writer are not yet properly evaluated even in his native...