Quotations on Contextual Art

Abstract

Swidzinski reformulates his Contextual Art theory of the ’70s from the perspective of the ’80s, and situates it within the history of ideas. Responding to Conceptual Art and its failure to address the rapid changes of modernity, Swidzinski defines art as a social act which changes reality perpetually, destroying old meanings and constructing new ones. In a transcript from a 1976 conference in Toronto, Canadian and international artists and others debate Swidzinski’s theory and discuss the questions then facing artists, such as how they should make a living, engage with a wider audience, or be more politically effective