Kaputart

Kaputart is a contemporary art concept that treats decay, failure, and the erosion of materials as intrinsic to a work's meaning. It encompasses sculpture, installation, and performance that deliberately incorporate degradation—such as corrosion, fragmentation, weathering, or data decay—rather than conceal it. Proponents view Kaputart as a critique of durability fantasies and consumption-driven culture, turning entropy into a medium.

The term began to appear in online forums and artist collectives in the 2010s, influenced by glitch aesthetics, environmental art, and the politics of waste. It draws on previous practices that embrace impermanence, including ruin photography and arte povera, while foregrounding the agency of deterioration itself.

Common practices include the use of salvaged or industrial materials, controlled exposure to elements, and the deliberate failure of embedded systems. Works may be time-sensitive, changing visible form over days or hours, and often invite audience participation as part of the transformation. Documentation—videos, photographs, and logs—becomes part of the work, registering the evolving state rather than seeking a fixed object.

Notable works and practitioners (illustrative examples): "Fugitive Signal" (2016) by A. Kim; "Rust Memory" (2019) by D. Rossi; "After the Shutdown" (2022) by N. Patel. Critical reception is divided: supporters argue Kaputart offers a sustainable framework for contemplating obsolescence and the life cycle of objects, while critics worry that it can romanticize waste or rely on sensational decay.

Related movements include glitch art, ruin photography, and environmental sculpture. The concept remains primarily used in curatorial and theoretical contexts, with no centralized canon or institutions.