Why Mediate Art? | Rosario Arellano

Rosario Arellano

Artistic mediation has become a necessary practice in cultural and educational contexts in recent years, not only because the value of art and art education for human beings is increasingly recognized, but also because it has been identified that the participation of society in cultural spaces is very low since most people do not have the tools to have, in a free and autonomous way, a positive and genuine experience with art.

This is due to the fact that, on the one hand, school art education has always been considered as a secondary and often unnecessary subject within the Chilean educational system, and therefore, it has been related more to handicrafts, instead of promoting the aesthetic experience. In other words, we have not been taught to observe, enjoy or relate to art.

For a long time, art was considered part of a sphere far from everyday life, as an elitist field for a few and that the rest, if they did not have the knowledge or experience, could not question. Because of this, the ability of the public not specialized in the arts to give an opinion or to enjoy a work or exhibition has been underestimated. And the public has bought it. The phrase “I can’t give an opinion because I don’t know about this” is common.

Most people lack the tools to have, in a free and

autonomous way, a positive and genuine experience with art.

These factors have created a barrier between art and society. Therefore, it is not enough to open cultural and exhibition spaces, nor is it enough to solve the problems of access, but it is necessary to create horizontal instances that seek not to “teach” but to encourage dialog, reflection and personal interpretation. Instances where bridges are built between the public and art, and even more, where the public is encouraged to create its own connections in order to be able to relate to and enjoy art in a genuine way.

Instances such as the SACO Contemporary Art Biennial contribute to change the passive and paternalistic vision of the general public, since it not only contributes to a cultural democratization in terms of contemporary art and the region, but also considers the public as a relevant and active agent in the significance of artistic processes.