Forensic Turn in Contemporary Art Examined in Afterall Essay

Charles Stankievech's essay 'Exhibit A: Notes on a Forensic Turn in Contemporary Art' was published on February 27, 2017, as part of Afterall Journal Issue 47. The text explores the intersection of forensic science and contemporary art practices, analyzing how artists adopt investigative methods to examine evidence, archives, and material traces. Stankievech discusses the rise of 'forensic aesthetics' in art, where works function as exhibits or evidence, challenging traditional notions of representation and truth. The essay is part of a broader discourse on art's role in legal and political contexts, drawing on examples from the 2010s. The full article is accessible only to subscribers, with individual purchases available via the University of Chicago Press. Related content includes essays on artists Inauk S. Gullah and Gonzalo Díaz, as well as a roundtable on saving M HKA museum.