Forward into the Past!, or a Progressive Aspect of What Has Gone Away (original) (raw)

2018, Zeszyty Artystyczne

Referring somewhat subversively to the main idea of this publication expressed in the question "What IS THE PULSE OF THE PRESENT (#now) and what IS COMING", I would like to focus here on the past, and more specifically, to consider how much what has gone by determines the current pulse of what is coming. I assume that in human experience, both that of individuals and communities, including the experience of art both from the perspective of its creators and recipients, the past, present, future and eternity are inseparably intertwined and determine the uniqueness of human being-in-the-world. Nevertheless, both individuals and cultures can valorize particular dimensions of temporality differently, which means that we can distinguish four temporal orientations: retrospective, presentistic, prospective, and eternistic. These orientations may not only be different for different individuals (or cultures), but also in the life of the same individual (culture), different temporal attitudes may prevail over others. "Politicizing" reflection on these orientations, I would like to consider whether the adoption of a retrospective orientation (also in the field of art) is inevitably linked with a conservative and traditionalist attitude prevailing today, or whether it can convey a counter-hegemonic subversive, emancipatory and progressive potential.