How to Do Things with Art

Abstract Book of the 3rd International Conference on Art Studies

Year: 2026

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How to Do Things with Art

Prof. Dr. Gizela Horvath

ABSTRACT:

In addition to art intended for contemplation, there has been a recent proliferation of art forms that replace the artwork with action. These are mostly processes that often involve other people. The text introduces the concept of “art acts,” which encompass these art forms. Here we see a similar shift in function in the field of art as that described by John Austin with his concept of “speech acts”: in addition to images with a traditionally descriptive function, we encounter works of art that are not descriptive representations but actions. The concept of art acts encompasses several categories: events, situations, performances, social sculpture, relational art, participatory art, street art, and artivism. The text traces the beginnings of art as an act from the 1960s to the participatory art and artivism characteristic of today. In the above cases, artists are no longer content with creating objects intended for contemplation but intervene in the social fabric through their works. The introduction and general description of the term art acts is followed by a presentation of subcategories, illustrated with examples. Finally, the text addresses the problems that arise in connection with the phenomenon of art acts: the difficulty of classifying them as art, the marginalization of aesthetics in favor of utility, and the difficulties of presentation or communication. Despite the theoretical difficulties, it is worth introducing the concept of art acts, as it highlights the conceptual unity of some artistic trends and forms of the last century.

Keywords: Art Acts; Artivism; Participation; Performance; Relational Art