Autumn School of The University of Tartu’s Department of Art History: Art and Beauty

Abstract

The traditional Autumn School of the University of Tartu’s Departmentof History, “Art and Beauty” was conducted on 16 and 17 October 2014in cooperation with the Tartu University Art Museum and Tartu ArtMuseum. The objective of the event, on the one hand, was to introduce the development and modification of the concept of beauty in the history ofaesthetics and art; and on the other hand, to examine the problematicrelationship that contemporary art and theory has with beauty. Thus, the first day of Autumn School was devoted to the classical traditions of beauty and its peak at the turn of the 19th century, when the University of Tartu was reopened, its ensemble of buildings built and the art museum established. Thereafter, the topic of masculine beauty in the classicalart tradition was covered as a separate topic. In addition to the presentations, the interest of the Enlightenment in the human body andantique sculpture was associated with the art project created speciallyfor the Autumn School by Jaanus Samma, a respected and well-knownyoung Estonian artist, who made an “incursion” into the exposition atthe University of Tartu Art Museum. On the second day of the Autumn School, at the Tartu Art Museum, an analysis of the meaning(s) of art in the 20th century and thereafter, today’s art, exhibition and media landscape was conducted with the participation of artists, curators and art critics. Whereas, the description of the current potential and position of beauty developed into an expectedly great challenge because, in the context of contemporary art, beauty and aestheticism may seem like a kind of taboo – a contrast to meaningful and intellectual art/exhibitions – and the topic is difficult to discuss.