Aesthetic Domain Research Articles

Towards a Common World: Arendt’s Way Beyond Hobbes

ABSTRACT Hobbes’s account of sovereign power can be seen as an impetus to Arendt’s passion for authentic political life. From the Human Condition, we will see how the distinction between labor, work, and action can be read as a response to Hobbes’s accounts of both human nature and the necessity for harsh restrictions on citizens in society. In particular, the need for compelled silence, for Hobbes, appears as a dialectical counterpoint to the role of speech in the space of appearances for Arendt. Hobbes also has a hand in drawing Arendt to her final interest in Kant’s Critique of Judgment. Here, Arendt addresses the problem of imperialism in Hobbes’s account of global power. She sees a way beyond imperialism through the cosmopolitan bond we share around the aesthetic domain. Aesthetic cosmopolitanism is a unique way into Arendt’s fight against tyranny.

REAL ESTATE, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND CAPITALIST ABSTRACTION. ON EDGAR MARTINS’ THIS IS NOT A HOUSE, DANIEL SHEA’S 43-35 10TH STREET, AND LEWIS BUSH’S METROPOLE

The paper analyses three photographic bodies of work — Edgar Martins’ This Is Not a House, Daniel Shea’s 43-35 10th Street, and Lewis Bush’s Metropole — looking at various aspects of the real estate market: real estate collapse and the 2008 financial crisis in the USA, as well as real estate boom and gentrification in New York City and London. The case studies depict the real estate industry as an example of how invisible and abstract market processes shape visible and concrete domains of everyday life, such as, income inequalities, social relationships, or public space aesthetics. The artists in question use photography as a tool to deconstruct the abstractions of neoliberal capitalism through an attempt to visualise the invisible. By examining the three case studies in the light of economic theory on the real estate market, the paper defines links between neoliberal capitalism and the medium of photography using the idea of abstraction, and shows how photography is used to dissect the complexity of economic processes taking place within the realm of neoliberal capitalism.

Botulinum toxin treatment for hemifacial spasm: harmonising neurological and aesthetic outcomes.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) represents a challenging cranial movement disorder primarily affecting the facial nerve innervated muscles, with significant prevalence among Asians. Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) injections, established as a primary therapeutic intervention since FDA approval, offer considerable effectiveness in alleviating spasms, albeit accompanied by challenges such as temporary effects and potential adverse events including facial asymmetry. This comprehensive review underscores the crucial need for harmonising neurological benefits and aesthetic outcomes in HFS management. The discussion delves into the interplay between facial aesthetics and neurological objectives in BoNT/A injections, emphasising precise techniques, dosages, and site considerations. Distinct aspects in neurological and aesthetic domains are also examined, including detailing the targeted muscles and injection methodologies for optimal therapeutic and aesthetic results. Importantly, evidence regarding various BoNT/A formulations, recommendations, and reconstitution guidelines in both neurology and aesthetics contexts are provided, along with a schematic approach outlining the stepwise process for BoNT/A injection in HFS treatment, addressing critical areas such as orbicularis oculi muscle sites, eyebrow correction strategies, mid- and lower-face considerations, contralateral injection sites, and post-injection follow-up and complication management. By highlighting the culmination of neurological efficacy and facial esthetics in BoNT/A treatment for HFS patients, this review proposes a holistic paradigm to achieve balanced symptomatic relief and natural aesthetic expression, ultimately enhancing quality of life for individuals grappling with HFS.

The Domains of Aesthetics and Perception Theories: A Review Relevant to Practice-based Doctoral Theses in the Visual Arts

Abstract Every doctoral thesis requires contextualization within its specific discipline's theoretical bases. For a visual arts practice-based thesis, the relevant bases include those of aesthetics and visual perception. This article reviews a Western history of the domain of visual aesthetic theory, addressing both the analytical philosophical efforts to define art and the continental approaches, which construe art as social construction. It then reviews a third, normative stance that foregrounds cognitive value before definition or sociological context—an aesthetic cognitivist position, art practice as a means of acquiring and sharing experiential knowledge and understanding. Contemporary concerns about environmental aesthetics and somaesthetics are also addressed in the Introduction. Aesthetic theories are related to visual perception theories as an aid to fulfilling the scholarly requirements for a practice-based thesis.

A Current Design Approach for Ming Chairs

Ergonomics are key in the design and application of Ming-style chairs. However, there are presently few specific design frameworks to guide Ming-style chair design. Under this background, the present study developed a questionnaire on the ergonomic design of Ming-style chairs and assessed its validity and reliability. Fifty-two respondents involved in the design and manufacture of Ming-style chairs participated in this study. The statistics of the questionnaire were analyzed and yielded a significant reliability coefficient (α > 0.70, p < 0.01). This ergonomic design framework study of Ming-style chairs analyzed the domains of Chair Form, Aesthetics, Safety, Comfort, Ease-of-use, and Productivity. To assess the importance of various design elements, we used a five-point Likert scale to score items within each domain. This scoring system enabled us to prioritize features, allowing the designers to focus on the essential elements before beginning the design process. We found that designers and manufacturers focused primarily on the Four-headed Official Chair with Armrests form.

Head Protection Device for Individuals at Risk for Head Injury due to Ground-Level Falls: Single Trauma Center User Experience Investigation.

Falls represent a large percentage of hospitalized patients with trauma as they may result in head injuries. Brain injury from ground-level falls (GLFs) in patients is common and has substantial mortality. As fall prevention initiatives have been inconclusive, we changed our strategy to injury prevention. We identified a head protection device (HPD) with impact-resistant technology, which meets head impact criteria sustained in a GLF. HPDs such as helmets are ubiquitous in preventing head injuries in sports and industrial activities; yet, they have not been studied for daily activities. We investigated the usability of a novel HPD on patients with head injury in acute care and home contexts to predict future compliance. A total of 26 individuals who sustained head injuries, wore an HPD in the hospital, while ambulatory and were evaluated at baseline and 2 months post discharge. Clinical and demographic data were collected; a usability survey captured HPD domains. This user experience design revealed patient perceptions, satisfaction, and compliance. Nonparametric tests were used for intragroup comparisons (Wilcoxon signed rank test). Differences between categorical variables including sex, race, and age (age group 1: 55-77 years; age group 2: 78+ years) and compliance were tested using the chi-square test. Of the 26 patients enrolled, 12 (46%) were female, 18 (69%) were on anticoagulants, and 25 (96%) were admitted with a head injury due to a GLF. The median age was 77 (IQR 55-92) years. After 2 months, 22 (85%) wore the device with 0 falls and no GLF hospital readmissions. Usability assessment with 26 patients revealed positive scores for the HPD post discharge regarding satisfaction (mean 4.8, SD 0.89), usability (mean 4.23, SD 0.86), effectiveness (mean 4.69, SD 0.54), and relevance (mean 4.12, SD 1.10). Nonparametric tests showed positive results with no significant differences between 2 observations. One issue emerged in the domain of aesthetics; post discharge, 8 (30%) patients had a concern about device weight. Analysis showed differences in patient compliance regarding age (χ12=4.27; P=.04) but not sex (χ12=1.58; P=.23) or race (χ12=0.75; P=.60). Age group 1 was more likely to wear the device for normal daily activities. Patients most often wore the device ambulating, and protection was identified as the primary benefit. The HPD intervention is likely to have reasonably high compliance in a population at risk for GLFs as it was considered usable, protective, and relevant. The feasibility and wearability of the device in patients who are at risk for GLFs will inform future directions, which includes a multicenter study to evaluate device compliance and effectiveness. Our work will guide other institutions in pursuing technologies and interventions that are effective in mitigating injury in the event of a fall in this high-risk population.

Convalescing Mandibular Anterior Crowding through Piezocision and the Micro-Osteoperforation Surgical Procedure-A Clinical Comparative Study.

Minimally invasive periodontic (perio) surgical procedures, piezocision, and micro-osteoperforation are useful techniques for accelerating tooth movement. These techniques also offer advantages in the orthodontic (ortho) and aesthetic domains. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the rates of lower anterior decrowding with piezocision and micro-osteoperforation. This clinical study included 24 patients requiring fixed orthodontic treatments. Two periodontic techniques (piezocision (PZ) and micro-osteoperforation (MOP)) were considered for the orthodontic treatments. Each patient was randomly allocated to either the piezocision (PZ) group or the micro-osteoperforation (MOP) group. The piezocision group received five radiographically guided incisions on the labial surface of the alveolar bone, whereas the micro-osteoperforation group received one to three MOPs each using a mini-implant drill between the six lower anterior teeth, and later, an initial arch wire was ligated to each bracket. Little's irregularity index (LII) was calculated using a digital vernier caliper on study models every four weeks until decrowding was achieved. The difference in the rates of lower anterior crowding between the piezocision and micro-osteoperforation groups was analyzed to determine the statistical significance. The rates of irregularity index change during decrowding were 4.38 ± 0.61 in the piezocision group and 3.82 ± 0.47 in the micro-osteoperforation group. Piezocision was found to be 1.2 times faster than micro-osteoperforation in terms of the rate of decrowding. The advanced perio-ortho combination technique was advantageous in accelerated decrowding. In comparison to MOP, there was an increase in the rate of decrowding with PZ. Decrowding can be completed quickly with PZ, and it can thus be used to treat crowding effectively in a limited time frame.

Evaluating the Effects of Integrating Music and Painting Aesthetics in Children’s Education: A Quantitative Study

The scope of aesthetics is often bound by the limits of sensory perception. In appreciating music and painting, information is typically processed through distinct perceptual channels. However, at the cerebral cortex and nervous system level, these modes of perception can interact and integrate, influenced by collected audiovisual information, thereby enriching the aesthetic experience and improving aesthetic efficiency. The domain of audio-visual interactive aesthetics holds significant potential in aesthetic education, yet current research in this area has made limited substantial advancements. This paper explores the functionality and impact of an audio-visual interactive aesthetic model, combining music and painting, within practical aesthetic education through a series of applied experiments. By incorporating Chinese traditional music and painting into children’s regular curriculum, we conduct a quantitative evaluating and analysis of the benefits of audio-visual multi-sensory aesthetics over single-channel perception in enhancing children’s emotional, aesthetic experiences, and cognitive abilities.

Художні експерименти як стимули культуротвірних процесів: на перехресті "позитивної" і "негативної" психології

Background. The problem of the article is related to the beginning of the 20th century, when the concept of "artistic experiment" became a part of theoretical discourse. It was stimulated by a change of the art paradigm, caused by avant-garde. Such a transformation was based on the exhaustion of romanticism and naturalism and the powerful entry of the aesthetic and artistic principles of symbolism into the European cultural space. The gradual detachment of a part of artists from romanticism and naturalism led to the start of fundamentally new trends that formed the avant-garde movement. The article aims to apply a comparative analysis of "positive" and "negative" types of psychology to reveal the specifics of artistic experiments in the formation and development of the avant-garde movement. Methods. the article uses the potential of such methods as chronological (historicism), analytical (outlining of the components of the research process), historical retrospection (capability to operate with the concept of "negative" psychology), comparative (comparison of "positive – negative psychology"), typological (definition of psychological /mental state of the artist). Results. it is argued that the Franco-Italian-German artists who formed the core of avant-garde did not share the principles of classical arts, absolutizing both the freedom of creativity and its permissiveness. The article emphasizes that representatives of specific aesthetic and artistic trends of avant-garde – cubists, futurists, abstractionists, dadaists, surrealists – supported the spontaneity of the creative process. It was indicated that from the second half of the 19th century, the process of radical transformations can be traced both in the space of European humanities and in the literary and artistic fields. First, a kind of reorientation of the humanities takes place, it activates the interdisciplinary links and the situation of theoretical and practical parity. Second, cinematography emerges as a new kind of art that, relying on scientific and technical progress achievements, confidently "fits" into the cultural context. Third, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, such new professions as film director, film producer, screenwriter, cameraman, sound engineer, etc. emerged and vastly affected a person's worldview by their work. Conclusions. In outlined conditions the role of psychology and psycho-physiology became significantly strengthened. It began to "cooperate" actively with other domains of humanities, in particular, aesthetics and art history.

Open preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair has superior 1-year patient-reported outcomes compared to Shouldice non-mesh repair.

The Shouldice method for inguinal hernia repair remains the gold standard for prosthesis-free repairs. Nonetheless, international guidelines have favored posterior mesh reinforcement as the standard of care for inguinal hernia repair due to lower risk of recurrence and chronic pain, avoidance of general anesthesia, and favorable biomechanical properties. Recent publications have shown the benefits of an open approach to posterior repairs. Herein, we use the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) registry to compare patient-reported outcomes after a Shouldice no-mesh repair versus open preperitoneal (OPP) mesh repair. We performed a propensity score matched analysis to compare patient-reported quality of life (QoL) and peri/postoperative outcomes after a Shouldice repair versus OPP. Data from 2012 to 2022 were obtained from the ACHQC, and 1:1 optimal matching was performed. EuraHS scores were used to estimate QoL, and further analysis on the EuraHS domains of pain, aesthetics, and activity restriction were performed between the two cohorts. Matching resulted in 257 participants in each, Shouldice and OPP cohorts. OPP was associated with a better QoL score compared to Shouldice at 30days after surgery (Median (IQR) 7.75 (2.0-17.0) vs 13.0 (4.0-26.1); OR 0.559 [0.37, 0.84]; p = 0.003). This difference persisted at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively (OR 0.447 [0.26, 0.75] and 0.492 [0.26, 0.93], respectively). We did not observe any significant differences in hernia recurrence risk at 1-year, or rates of 30-day SSOs/SSIs, postoperative bleeding, peripheral nerve injury, DVTs, or UTIs. Our data suggest that OPP is associated with significantly better patient-reported QoL, in the first month after surgery and up to 1 year postoperatively, especially with respect to lesser pain, when compared to the Shouldice repair. In specialized inguinal hernia practices, open posterior mesh repairs may lead to better outcomes than non-mesh repairs. We encourage more training in both repairs to facilitate larger prospective studies and evaluation of the generalizability of these results to all surgeons performing IHR.

Aesthetic Experience as Interaction

Abstract The aim of this article is to argue that what is distinctive about aesthetic experiences has to do with what we do -- not with our perception or evaluation, but with our action and, more precisely, with our interaction with whatever we are aesthetically engaging with. This view goes against the mainstream inasmuch as aesthetic engagement is widely held to be special precisely because it is detached from the sphere of the practical. I argue that taking the interactive nature of aesthetic experiences seriously can help us to understand some of the most important features of aesthetic experiences and the role they play in our life: their normativity, their crucial role in the ways in which the aesthetic domain looms large in our self-image and in the social dimension of aesthetic engagement.

The future of cosmeceuticals

AbstractThe present state of skincare addresses the consequences of photodamage, hormonal influences, and the cumulative impact of exposome exposure throughout a person's life. Treatments within the aesthetic domain either harness biological pathways to achieve rejuvenation, such as retinoids and antioxidants, or suppress them, like lightening ingredients. Emerging advancements encompass techniques that stimulate the differentiation of stem cells to generate younger keratinocytes and fibroblasts, activate macrophages to diminish proinflammatory cellular waste, and restore glycosaminoglycans within the dermal matrix. While these innovations have significantly enhanced the potential of skincare to revitalize the skin in recent years, obstacles to their adoption remain substantial, including complex multistep regimens, the elevated cost of novel technologies, and limited accessibility for a majority of consumers. The next phase of skincare innovation targets the root cause of aging, at the genetic and epigenetic level. By reversing the effect of the exposome at this level, it is conceivable that biological age and chronological age might no longer correlate. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence, the identification of biomarkers, and improved accessibility to genetic predisposition lab testing will combine to allow for greater personalization of skincare recommendations.

About the Need for a More Adequate Way to Get an Understanding of the Experiencing of Aesthetic Items.

We live in times when neuroscientific methods have become standard methods that many researchers can easily use. While this offers excellent opportunities to understand brain activities linked with aesthetic processing, we face the problem of using sophisticated techniques without a proper and valid theoretical foundation of aesthetics. A further problem arises from sophisticated methods often demanding strict constraints in presenting and experiencing aesthetic stimuli. However, when experiencing aesthetic items, contextual factors matter, e.g., social and situational affordances are essential in triggering a true and deep "Kunsterlebnis" (Experience of Art). Additionally, in Art, it is often not the artwork as an object that matters but the close relationship with and the processing of the artwork. However, art is only one facet of the whole aesthetic domain, beside, e.g., design, architecture, everyday aesthetics, dance, literature, music, and opera. In the present paper, I propose a dynamic and holistic aesthetic perspective that includes the respective context, situation, cognitive and affective traits and state of the beholder, ongoing processes of understanding, Zeitgeist, and other cultural factors, which can be applied to different aesthetic domains. When ignoring such temporal and dynamic factors, we will not understand the qualia of aesthetic processing. These considerations might help researchers in the field of aesthetics to better understand the experiencing of aesthetic items of all kinds-if we ignore these factors, we are missing the essence of experiencing aesthetic items, especially artworks. We aim to sensitize and inform readers about these ideas to inspire a deeper understanding of experiencing aesthetic items and the advancement of a theoretical framework addressing the experiencing of aesthetics from different domains.

Is Replantation Associated With Better Hand Function After Traumatic Hand Amputation Than After Revision Amputation?

Replantation is an established treatment for traumatic upper extremity amputation. Only a few studies, however, have assessed the patient-reported outcomes of replantation, and the findings of these studies have been conflicting. (1) Is replantation associated with better hand function than revision amputation? (2) Is replantation associated with better health-related quality of life, less painful cold intolerance, and more pleasing hand esthetics than revision amputation after a traumatic hand amputation? In this retrospective, comparative study, we collected the details of all patients who sustained a traumatic upper extremity amputation and were treated at the study hospital. Between 2009 and 2019, we treated 2250 patients, and we considered all patients who sustained a traumatic amputation of two or more digital rays or a thumb as potentially eligible. Based on that, 15% (334 of 2250) were eligible; a further 2% (8 of 334) were excluded because of a subsequent new traumatic amputation or bilateral amputation, and another 22% (72 of 334) refused participation, leaving 76% (254 of 334) for analysis here. The primary outcome was the DASH score. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life (EuroQOL-5D [EQ-5D-5L] Index), painful cold intolerance (the Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity score), and hand esthetics (the Michigan Hand Questionnaire aesthetic domain score). The minimum follow-up time for inclusion was 18 months. Patients were classified into two treatment groups: replantation (67% [171 of 254], including successful replantation in 84% [144 of 171] and partially successful replantation in 16% [27 of 171], in which some but not all of the replanted tissue survived), and revision (complete) amputation (33% [83 of 254], including primary revision amputation in 70% [58 of 83] and unsuccessful replantation followed by secondary amputation in 30% [25 of 83]). In this cohort, replantation was performed if possible, and the reason for choosing primary revision amputation over replantation was usually an amputated part that was too severely damaged (15% [39 of 254]) or was unattainable (2% [4 of 254]). Some patients (3% [8 of 254]) refused to undergo replantation, or their health status did not allow replantation surgery and postoperative rehabilitation (3% [7 of 254]). Gender, age (mean 48 ± 17 years in the replantation group versus 50 ± 23 years in the revision amputation group; p = 0.41), follow-up time (8 ± 4 years in the replantation group versus 7 ± 4 years in the revision amputation group; p = 0.18), amputation of the dominant hand, smoking, extent of tissue loss, or presence of arterial hypertension did not differ between the groups. Patients in the replantation group less frequently had diabetes mellitus (5% [8 of 171] versus 12% [10 of 83]; p = 0.03) and dyslipidemia (4% [7 of 171] versus 11% [9 of 83]; p = 0.04) than those in the revision group and more often had cut-type injuries (75% [129 of 171] versus 60% [50 of 83]; p = 0.02). After controlling for potential confounding variables such as age, injury type, extent of tissue loss before treatment, and accident of the dominant hand, replantation was not associated with better DASH scores than revision amputation (OR 0.82 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50 to 1.33]; p = 0.42). After controlling for potential cofounding variables, replantation was not associated with better EQ-5D-5L Index scores (OR 0.93 [95% CI 0.56 to 1.55]; p = 0.55), differences in Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity scores (OR 0.85 [95% CI 0.51 to 1.44]; p = 0.79), or superior Michigan Hand Questionnaire esthetic domain scores (OR 0.73 [95% CI 0.43 to 1.26]; p = 0.26) compared with revision amputation. Replantation surgery was conducted, if feasible, in a homogenous cohort of patients who underwent amputation. If the amputated tissue was too severely damaged or replantation surgery was unsuccessful, the treatment resulted in revision (complete) amputation, which was not associated with worse patient-reported outcomes than successful replantation. These results contradict the assumed benefits of replantation surgery and indicate the need for credible evidence to better guide the care of these patients. Level III, therapeutic study.

Decolonising Art and Design Education through Standpoint Theory, Embodied Learning and Deep Listening

AbstractUnderstanding and advancing pluralist worldviews through education is a tenet of decolonisation. This paper explores the importance of a decolonial pedagogical framework in visual art and design education by disrupting epistemic injustice through employing creative body‐based learning (CBL). This approach focuses on relationality and inter‐subjectivity through embodied strategies that create encounters to explore pluralist worldviews. Finally, by employing the cognitive, affective and aesthetic domains within a learning design, the paper argues for a decolonising approach to visual art and design education that embodies deep listening, dialogic meaning making and standpoint theory.

Delineating beauty: On form and the boundaries of the aesthetic

AbstractPhilosophical aesthetics has recently been expanding its purview—with exciting work on everyday aesthetics, somaesthetics, gustatory aesthetics, and the aesthetics of imperceptibilia like mathematics and human character—reclaiming territory that was lost during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when the discipline begun concentrating almost exclusively on the philosophy of art and restricted the aesthetic realm to the distally perceptible. Yet there remains considerable reluctance towards acknowledging the aesthetic character of many of these objects. This raises an important question—partly made salient again by the ongoing expansion of the aesthetic domain, and partly by the fact that many still seem resistant to this aesthetic diversification—which aestheticians seem to avoid: what, if anything, constrains the scope of beauty or the aesthetic? I argue that form, construed as comprising a degree, however minimal, of experienceable complexity, is necessary and sufficient for an object's candidature for the possession of aesthetic properties. Such a condition serves to discriminate between attempts to expand the scope of the aesthetic that are legitimate and those that are not. If correct, my view suggests that the aesthetic realm, though not limitless, is very broad indeed—but this, I think, is as it should be.

Art as a Shelter from Science

Abstract In our life with science, we trust experts; we form judgements by inference from past evidence. We conduct ourselves very differently in the aesthetic domain. We avoid deferring to aesthetic experts. We form our judgements through direct perception of particulars rather than through inference. Why the difference? I suggest that we avoid aesthetic testimony and aesthetic inference, not because they’re unusable, but because we have adopted social norms to avoid them. Aesthetic appreciation turns out to be something like a game. We have laid down certain rules and restrictions in order to shape a kind of activity we cherish. And aesthetic properties turn out to be a kind of social construct. Much like the goal of a game, they are constituted in part by our obedience to certain rules. The norms of aesthetic life are different from those of science because our purposes are different. We engage in science to get the right answers; we engage in aesthetic appreciation to be absorbed in the activity of the sensuous perception of particulars. Our aesthetic practices are a constructed shelter from science; they restore to us a small domain where we may once again engage in our own sensuous perception of particulars.

ЕРОТОЛОШКО ЧИТАЊЕ БОЖЈИХ ЉУДИ БОРЕ СТАНКОВИЋА

In this work, the stories from the collection of God’s people by Bora Stanković are analyzed through an erotological perspective. The individual destinies of individual deities were interpreted in a broader cultural context, where special attention was paid to the conflict between the individual and the patriarchal culture, with special emphasis on the mediating role of deities that transcends the marginalized social position. The different causes of the “falling into madness” of female and male heroes open the issue of gender inequality, because when it comes to heroines, they are mostly self-excluded from the community due to sexual abuse, while heroes are born with psychological problems. Based on the physical description of individual gods and goddesses, it is shown that the culture/subculture distinction does not necessarily imply the erotic/non-erotic distinction, that is, the beautiful/ugly distinction in the domain of aesthetics. In view of the above, the issue of necrophilia as a sexually deviant behavior is open, given that some gods manifest an obsessive passion for crawling into graves.

The black box aesthetics: performative dynamics between artificial intelligence and human interactive staging

ABSTRACT The present paper addresses a theoretical model for human-machine interaction in intermedia performance taking as reference the author’s perspective. It is discussed the role of artificial intelligence as an autonomous, pervasive, and real-time evolving entity in dialectical relation with the performer and/or audience. The convergence of physical and virtual elements suggests the emergence of hybrid systems, insofar as digital instances manifest their own agency and humans show mechanical actions linked to information processing. Three typologies of human-machine interaction are inferred: 1) the algorithm elaborates the output through self-referential data, as in Δnfang; 2) the algorithm gathers information from performed actions, as in Convergence; 3) the algorithm processes data from the audience’s reaction, as in DoPPioGioco. As digital and analogue devices are employed, programming environments are hidden from human agents and filtered through the author’s gaze. Comparing the underlying black box rules with stage setting, it is observed to what extent algorithms are mediated and enacted. The article considers the information bias commonly attributed to artificial intelligence as rooted in the aesthetic domain, with significant dramaturgical implications.

Aesthetic Commitments and Aesthetic Obligations

Resolving to finish reading a novel, staying true to your punk style, or dedicating your life to an artistic project: these are examples of aesthetic commitments. I develop an account of the nature of such commitments, and I argue that they are significant insofar as they help us manage the temporally extended nature of our aesthetic agency and our relationships with aesthetic objects. At the same time, focusing on aesthetic commitments can give us a better grasp on the nature of aesthetic normativity; this is because, in making aesthetic commitments, we are capable of giving aesthetic concerns the weight of obligation. I argue that appealing to aesthetic commitments allows us to account for the existence of aesthetic obligations as well as their grounding. I conclude by arguing that, although the aesthetic domain is a domain of play and freedom of choice, there is nevertheless an important place in it for both aesthetic commitments and the aesthetic obligations they generate.