artworkssuch

Artworkssuch is a term used in contemporary art discourse to describe a class of works that foreground classification and the criteria used to determine what counts as art. In this framing, artworks are examined not only for their aesthetic properties but also for how they reveal, resist, or manipulate taxonomy and the systems that describe art in catalogs, galleries, and online platforms.

Etymology and concept: The word is a compound derived from "artworks" and "such," echoing common cataloging prompts like "artworks such as." The concept situates art within meta-cognition about categorization, inviting self-reflexivity from artists, curators, and audiences about how meaning is produced through labels and search terms.

Practice and media: Artworkssuch appears across media, including installation, generative software, data visualization, and text-based works. Projects may incorporate catalog entries, metadata, or search interfaces, and often deploy self-referential text about classification. Notable approaches include re-framing catalog language, creating works that shift with metadata, and using algorithms to reveal biases in labeling.

History and reception: The term appears in scholarly debates from the early 2000s onward and has been taken up in curatorial essays and theory anthologies. Supporters say it clarifies how power and taste are mediated through labeling, while critics caution that it can become opaque without concrete exemplars.

See also and references: Taxonomy in art; meta-art; data-driven curation; metadata in art. Related discussions include classification, labeling, and the role of AI in contemporary exhibition practices.