“What makes something art?”
There is no single definition of what makes something art, as the concept of art is highly subjective and varies widely from one person to another. Some people believe that art is any activity or product that expresses ideas, emotions, or experiences through creative or imaginative forms of representation.
Others believe that art must meet certain aesthetic criteria, such as originality, beauty, or emotional impact. Still others believe that art is anything that is created with an artistic vision or intent, regardless of the final product.
Ultimately, what makes something art is down to interpretation and can depend on a wide range of factors, including the context in which it is created, the motivations of the creator, and the way it is perceived by the viewer or society at large. The concept of art is constantly evolving and can be influenced by cultural, social, and historical factors.
Learn more about this with our series “Art & Society”
Art is often used as a medium to convey messages and meaning, not just to entertain & delight. Artists play an important role in reflecting and commentating on the societies in which they live. But how does influence society?
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Mark Stevens & Annalyn Swan
Irish-born painter Francis Bacon was one of the most important artists of the 20th century, his raw, unsettling imagery emerging from some of the most traumatic events of the modern age. Who was he, as an artist and as a man?
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Dr. James Fox
Humans have always speculated about what a perfect world might look like, whether as a reward in the afterlife, part of an origin story like the Garden of Eden, or a real place on Earth. How do we see these ideas play out in the art we create?
James Birch
In 1988, art curator James Birch, travelled to Moscow to mount the ground-breaking Francis Bacon exhibition. How was Bacon perceived at the time & how did this exhibition change society?
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Dr. James Fox
The colour white has been associated with purity for millennia in religious iconography, architecture and art. But has it come to represent something darker too?
Explore talks about any category
Explore our library & save a seat at an upcoming live Garden Talk.Art & Entertainment
Take a wander through human imagination, creativity & the designed world around us
Geography & the World
Explore Planet Earth’s diverse environments & ecosystems, from rainforests to cities
History
Look back on key events, trends & people to shed new light on the world we live in today
Human Biology & Medicine
Focus your attention inwards to one of the most complex systems of all: the human body
Literature & Language
Immerse yourself in the world of words, written & spoken, from mythology to the media
Philosophy & Religion
Ask the knotty questions about knowledge, reality, existence, morality & what we believe
Psychology & Behaviour
Delve into what drives us as humans, from communication & memory to thought & emotion
Science & Nature
Journey through the natural world and the experiments & observations that illuminate it
Society & Politics
Examine the ties that bind us as communities and the customs & structures we create
Technology
Investigate the most exciting applications of the cutting edge of research & thinking
