Artworlds-and Scienceworlds?

Abstract

The concept of the artworld (or artworlds) is fundamentally important in the arts because it relates to the very definition of art according to the now widely accepted institutional theory of art. Singular and plural forms of “artworld” are used, indicating that it is not a homogeneous entity but a mosaic of different groupings. The term was introduced by Arthur Danto (1924–2013), an American philosopher and art critic, and it meant the cultural context of art (1). According to Danto, the existence of artworld provides intellectual content that enriches individual artworks. The institutional theory of art was formulated by another American, George Dickie (1926–), and relates to the network of institutions that link artists, artworks, and the public (2, 3). Thus any work of art is presented to the public within the context of a particular artworld. In this perspective, the definition of what constitutes an art work goes beyond defining just the attributes, such as, in the case of a painting, its composition or color palette. The artistic quality can reside outside the art object, as is the case with conceptual art (4). A sociologist's view of the artworlds has been provided by Becker (4). He sees artworlds as collectives of people whose activities are necessary to create art works. …