Art is a multi-layered expression of human creativity and perception, ranging from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary digital and performative practices. It encompasses visual, conceptual and interactive elements that arise from both neurological processes and socio-political contexts.
The earliest art forms, such as the cave paintings of Lascaux, already demonstrate the fundamental human propensity for visual representation (Hoffmann et al., 2018). This ability is closely linked to the development of the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for spatial thinking and creative processes (Corballis, 2014).
Throughout history, art has developed into a tool for social criticism and political expression. Contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei use visual media to draw attention to social grievances (Sorace, 2014). Performance art expands the concept of the visual by utilising the body and space as artistic media (Goldberg, 2011).
Art is thus a dynamic field that continuously redefines the boundaries between the visual, the conceptual and the social, reflecting and shaping both neurological and cultural aspects of human experience.
Literature:
Corballis, M. C. (2014). Left brain, right brain: Facts and fantasies. PLOS Biology, 12(1), e1001767.
Goldberg, R. (2011). Performance art: From futurism to the present (3rd ed.). Thames & Hudson.
Hoffmann, D. L., Standish, C. D., García-Diez, M., Pettitt, P. B., Milton, J. A., Zilhão, J., Alcolea-González, J. J., Cantalejo-Duarte, P., Collado, H., de Balbín, R., Lorblanchet, M., Ramos-Muñoz, J., Weniger, G.-C., & Pike, A. W. G. (2018). U-Th dating of carbonate crusts reveals Neandertal origin of Iberian cave art. Science, 359(6378), 912-915.
Sorace, C. (2014). China’s last communist: Ai Weiwei. Critical Inquiry, 40(2), 396-419.