Nicolas Bourriaud's 'Inclusioni' Examines Capitalocene Aesthetics
Published by Postmedia Books in 2020, Nicolas Bourriaud's 'Inclusioni. Estetica del capitalocene' introduces the term 'capitalocene' to characterize a crisis at the human level that is transforming representation and broadening 'relational cartography.' The essay challenges the concept of the Anthropocene, citing Yuval Noah Harari's assertion that human impact on the planet spans 70,000 years. Bourriaud seeks to reclaim a 'magical territory' to reconcile the divide between nature and culture, drawing on Claude Lévi-Strauss and post-colonialism while cautioning against self-colonization. He critiques postmodernism as a fixation on history. Artists, acting as critical thinkers and anthropologists, restore totemic realities, with Joseph Beuys serving as a prime example. His critique of post-internet art promotes a decentralized connection between art and living spaces, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key facts
- Nicolas Bourriaud's 'Inclusioni. Estetica del capitalocene' was published by Postmedia Books in 2020.
- The book introduces the term 'capitalocene' to describe a crisis of human scale.
- Bourriaud references Yuval Noah Harari's view that humans have altered the planet for 70,000 years.
- The essay draws on Claude Lévi-Strauss's structural anthropology.
- Bourriaud argues postmodernism is a paradigm of existence without an outside.
- Joseph Beuys is cited as an artist who releases frozen symbolic energies.
- Bourriaud critiques post-internet art for flattening cultural novelty onto technology.
- The book was written during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Entities
Artists
- Nicolas Bourriaud
- Joseph Beuys
- Yuval Noah Harari
- Claude Lévi-Strauss
- Marcello Carriero
Institutions
- Postmedia Books
- Artribune
Locations
- Milano
- Italy
- France