Contemporary Art Accused of Nullity by Jean Baudrillard

In 1995, sociologist Jean Baudrillard, an iconic figure of the 1980s, took to a radio show to express his deep dissatisfaction with contemporary art. Known for his theories on consumer society and simulation, Baudrillard denounced what he saw as a drift in modern art, accusing it of wallowing in a virtual, aesthetic-free reality.

During the second half of his career, Baudrillard developed a serious aversion to contemporary art. What was once a field of innovation and discovery had, in his view, become a space corrupted by the quest for scientific objectivity. In September 1995, on the set of “Perspectives scientifiques,” he sharply criticized abstraction in art, which he saw as an aberration and a corruption of artistic values.

On May 20, 1996, Baudrillard published a resounding column in the newspaper "Libération" entitled "The Conspiracy of Art." In it, he accused contemporary art of claiming nullity and insignificance, asserting that this art aims for nonsense when it is already insignificant. " The whole duplicity of contemporary art is there: claiming nullity, insignificance, nonsense, aiming for nullity when one is already null ," he wrote.

Baudrillard also criticizes contemporary art for its role in the excessive aestheticization of the world, which he believes isolates us from reality. He sees this quest as a corruption by science, where art seeks to reveal the objective truth of the object and the world, instead of remaining a "higher illusion."

“ The art market is disconnected from the economy and from life, ” Baudrillard asserts, describing a narcissistic and self-referential art world, with no connection to reality. He notes that the “aesthetic encephalogram” is virtually flat, although there may be unpredictable singularities. For Baudrillard, this phenomenon is a sign of contemporary art, which claims banality and insignificance.

Jean Baudrillard offers a harsh but thoughtful critique of contemporary art. For him, this art has become a caricature of itself, trapped in a superficiality that betrays its true role. His words invite a profound reflection on the direction modern art is taking and its impact on our perception of reality.

The editorial staff