IF WALTER BENJAMIN EXPERIENCED NFT: REVIEWING CRYPTO ART THROUGH HIS EYES

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 1 - Visual Culture, 35 - 51, 27.06.2022

Esra Bozkanat

https://doi.org/10.17572/mj2022.1.3551

Abstract

This study aims to examine crypto art in the context of aura (halo), uniqueness, testimony, and, authenticity by evaluating digital NFT technology from the perspective of Benjamin, who has only experienced image technologies such as photography and cinema. The research argues that the aura did not vanish with crypto-art in fact, an aura similar to the one described by Benjamin (1935) has never emerged. In this context, the study argues that the uniqueness that Benjamin said was separated from the work of art by technological reproduction is returned to the work of art with more advanced technology named blockchain. The study seeks an answer to the question: "Is aura possible for an NFT?". The study argues that the cult value in traditional art has replaced by the value of ownership with NFTs, the notion of uniqueness has turned into digital scarcity, the state of being tied to the ceremony has been replaced by freedom, and the new form of the aura is that art is freedom from the maternal archetype. 

Keywords

NFT, Walter Benjamin, aura, crypto art, digital art

WALTER BENJAMIN NFT'LERE TANIKLIK ETSEYDİ: KRİPTO SANATA ONUN GÖZÜNDEN BAKMAK

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı yalnızca fotoğraf ve sinema gibi görüntü teknolojilerine yetişmiş olan Benjamin’in tekniğe olan bakış açısıyla dijital NFT teknolojisini değerlendirerek, kripto sanatı aura (hale), biriciklik ve tanıklık, hakikilik bağlamında irdelemektir. Çalışma, kripto sanat ile auranın ortadan kalkmadığını, esasen en başta Benjamin’in (1935) tasvir ettiği türde bir auranın hiç ortaya çıkmadığını savunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, çalışma, Benjamin’in teknik araçlarla yeniden üretim ile sanat eserinden koparıldığını söylediği biricikliğin daha ileri bir teknoloji olan blockchain ile sanat eserine iade edildiğini savunarak “NFT’lerin aurasından bahsedilebilir mi?” sorusuna yanıt aramaktadır. Çalışma, geleneksel sanattaki kült değerinin yerini NFT’ler ile sahiplik değerine bıraktığını, biriciklik nosyonunun dijital kıtlığa dönüştüğünü, törene bağlı olma durumunun özgürlükle yer değiştirdiğini ve aura nosyonunun yerini maddesel arketipten özgürleşme şeklinde karşımıza çıktığını savunmaktadır.

Keywords

NFT, Walter Benjamin, aura, kripto sanat, dijital sanat

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