The Problem of Legitimacy in Conceptual Art: The Case of Giuseppe Panza between Document and Authority

Year 2025, Issue: 16, 184 - 210

Mehmet Dere

https://doi.org/10.32739/etkilesim.2025.8.16.310

Abstract

This study examines the ontological and institutional ambiguities inherent in conceptual art through the lens of artistic legitimacy, focusing specifically on the case of Giuseppe Panza. Since the 1960s, conceptual art has redefined the artwork not as a material object but as an idea-based construct, giving rise to new debates concerning its definition, ownership, and circulation. Within this framework, where physical production is often secondary, the existence of an artwork increasingly depends on the artist’s intent, written instructions, documentation, and institutional validation. Italian collector Giuseppe Panza emerged as a central figure in this transformation, acquiring numerous conceptual and minimalist works in unrealized plans and certificates. However, Panza’s broad claims of authority over these documents led to various legal and ethical tensions with artists such as Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, and Bruce Nauman. This study investigates the following questions through the Panza case: When and by whom is a conceptual artwork considered to “exist”? How is artistic intent represented through documentation? Under what conditions do such documents carry legal or institutional authority? By analyzing archival materials, artist correspondence, and certificates, the research demonstrates that conceptual art should be understood as an aesthetic stance and a practice embedded in systems of documentation, contractual frameworks, and institutional power.

Keywords

Giuseppe Panza , conceptual art , representation , ınstitutional authority , certificate of authenticity

Kavramsal Sanatta Meşruiyet Sorunu: Belge ve Otorite Arasında Giuseppe Panza Örneği

Abstract

Bu çalışma, kavramsal sanatın doğasında bulunan ontolojik ve kurumsal belirsizlikleri, sanat eserinin meşruiyeti bağlamında ele almakta ve Giuseppe Panza örneği üzerinden değerlendirmektedir. 1960’lı yıllardan itibaren gelişen kavramsal sanat, sanat eserini maddi bir nesne olmaktan çıkarıp fikir temelli bir yapıya dönüştürmüş; bu dönüşüm, eserin tanımı, mülkiyeti ve dolaşımı gibi alanlarda yeni tartışmaları beraberinde getirmiştir. Fiziksel üretimin geri planda kaldığı bu bağlamda, eserlerin varlığı büyük ölçüde sanatçının niyeti, yazılı talimatlar, belgeler ve kurumsal onay mekanizmalarıyla tanımlanır hâle gelmiştir. İtalyan koleksiyoner Giuseppe Panza, bu dönüşümün merkezinde yer alan belirleyici bir figür olarak, birçok kavramsal ve minimal sanat eserini henüz gerçekleştirilmemiş planlar ve sertifikalar aracılığıyla toplamıştır. Ancak Panza’nın bu belgeler üzerinden ileri sürdüğü geniş hak iddiaları, Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin ve Bruce Nauman gibi sanatçılarla hukuki ve etik düzeyde çeşitli gerilimlere neden olmuştur. Çalışma, Panza örneği üzerinden şu sorulara odaklanmaktadır: Bir kavramsal sanat eseri ne zaman ve kim tarafından ‘var’ kabul edilir? Sanatçının niyeti belge yoluyla nasıl temsil edilir? Ve bu belgeler hangi koşullarda hukuki ya da kurumsal otorite taşır? Arşiv belgeleri, sanatçı yazışmaları ve özgün sertifikaların çözümlemesi yoluyla yapılan inceleme, kavramsal sanatın yalnızca estetik bir yaklaşım değil, aynı zamanda belge, sözleşme ve otoriteye dayalı karmaşık bir pratik olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Giuseppe Panza , kavramsal sanat , temsil , kurumsal otorite , özgünlük sertifikası

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