Art's Political Uselessness as Refuge in Capitalist World

Philosopher Slavoj Žižek warns in his 2010 book 'Living in the End Times' that art influencing politics carries risks, citing historical examples like the Nazi party's abuse of Nietzsche's philosophy. Artists such as Tania Bruguera, Chto Delat?, Oliver Ressler, and Voina engage in politically oriented art, responding to observations by cultural theorists like Mark Fisher and Žižek about a world seemingly beyond political conversion. Theodor W. Adorno argued in his 1961 essay 'On Commitment' that art must persist to avoid surrendering to cynicism. The text critiques state-backed capitalism, noting that even leftists are complicit through participation in exchange and taxation systems. Art's political potential lies in its uselessness, offering a refuge in a senseless world dominated by finance capital, where most artworks lack investment value and art academies produce landfill. The poet is no more responsible for a dictator's actions than the broader societal network supporting them, including military and judicial systems. This perspective challenges an 'outsider mentality' that isolates opposition groups. The article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of ArtReview.