Photography is an interesting artform. In The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Walter Benjamin wrote about the fading of the aura which came about when art was no longer an original work of art, but something that could be reproduced. This meant there was no longer one particular original painting or sculpture to be worshipped and adored, for every reproduction of a photo was equally original.

Interestingly, many of the photographic works seen in Neu/Now festival create themselves an altogether different aura by unweaving photography's rainbow and showing what is behind the camera (as seen in the case of Aestheticized Action by Martin Tuma (http://elia-artschools.org/festival/work/aestheticized-action)) or even behind the screen (in the case of Reality Show by Tereza Trautmannova (http://elia-artschools.org/festival/work/reality-show)).

Or in other cases, the subject of the unweaving is something we perceive to be rather real, like nature (the solar followed by the lunar... by Ann Kristin Einarsen (http://elia-artschools.org/festival/work/the-solar-followed-by-the-lunar-followed-by-the-solar-followed-by-the-lunar)) or gender (When men were men by Anna Udoh (http://elia-artschools.org/festival/work/when-men-were-men-)).

In any case, most of the works are always trying to tell us something about our reality, not merely mediate it in an aesthetically pleasing way. Is it truly so, that one can hardly be an artist, if one does not have a message about society, the human condition or art itself? (And yes, the answer does seem quite painfully obvious, now that I have written the question down)

Often I enjoy pictures just because they look pretty. Like I sometimes enjoy songs because they sound good and ignore the lyrics altogether. Why not create things just because they are beautiful? Making the world a beautiful place seems as good a goal as any. And, come to think about it, if it is possible to create beautiful things AND provoke thoughts at the same time, why not do both? Hmm, I think I have stumbled upon my own personal definition of good art.