WEEK6
‘Ephemeral’ refers to activities or artworks that are transient, meaning that they only exist for a brief time. These forms of artworks are often designed to leave a lasting impact on a person’s memory or transformation, rather than relying on simple physical permanence. Examples of these art forms include performance art, such as Marina Abramović’s “The Artist Is Present”, whereby the art exists during the moment of interaction between the artist and audience. Another example includes Banksy’s graffiti street art which has the potential to be removed. These activities challenge traditional notions of art as a permanent object, and instead, emphasise experience, interaction, and the impermanence of the art form itself.
Publishing can provide access to ephemeral activities; it can be utilised to transform fleeting artistic expressions into documented histories, which in turn, can inspire and educate an audience beyond its original context. This archival process democratises access to art, and as a result, makes art more accessible to a wider audience who may have lacked previous opportunities to experience it. However, this must be approached with caution, especially as the immediacy and experiential nature of the artwork may be lost since the publication can only approximate the original experience. Besides, the act of archiving may inadvertently privilege certain narratives over others, leading to a potential distortion of historical records, therefore influencing future interpretations of the art form.
