Automontology

Automontology is a philosophical and artistic movement that emerged in the 1990s, primarily in Europe and the United States. The term "automontology" was coined by French philosopher and critic, Nicolas Bourriaud, in his 1995 essay "Relational Aesthetics." The concept is based on the idea of self-organization and the inherent value of relationships and interactions.

Automontologists argue that art and everyday life are inseparable, and that the boundaries between creator, viewer, and artist are blurred. They often use interactive and immersive art forms to engage with the public, creating a sense of collective participation and shaping the exhibition space into a platform for dialogue and exchange.

Key aspects of automontology include the rejection of the avant-garde notion of art as a utopian escape, the elevation of the everyday as a meaningful domain of aesthetic experience, and the incorporation of networks, relational dynamics, and collaborative production processes. Automontologists emphasize the importance of reciprocity, participation, and affect in artistic processes.

Automontology has been interpreted as a reaction to the dominant modes of modern and contemporary art, with its focus on glory, competition, and the cult of the master artist. Instead, automontologists aim to cultivate new forms of companionship and cooperation, subverting the prestigious narratives of high art to create inclusive and politically charged projects.

The concept of automontology has influenced artistic and curatorial practices, while also shaping theoretical debates on art, politics, anthropology, and social critique. Despite its development as a distinct movement, automontology remains an open and expanding area of artistic and philosophical inquiry, inviting new investigations into its principles, implications, and potentialities.