[Reading Response] The Work Of Art In The Age Of Its Technological Reproducibility, And Other Writings On Media

In the reading, Walter Benjamin presents the idea that technology, especially those related to reproducing and distributing art and media, has the ability to fundamentally alter the nature of art.

Architecture is one of the most static and immovable forms of art, while it was not a subject of scrutiny in the reading, it can be a though provoking matter to be analysed using Benjamin’s ideas. I found an intriguing dichotomy between architecture (static, costly and permanent) and film (dynamic, easily distributable and transient), which can perfectly capture the transformative effect of media technology on art.

A brief detour into reproducibility and fascism: Benjamin underpins his original dissertation (which surprisingly is almost a century old) with a political concern. It is apparent in the reading that he was (reasonably) concerned with the spread of Marxism (by extension Fascism) in the post-WWII era. He believed that while the growing reproducibility of art made it more accessible and less elitist, it could also be misused as a tool to propagate false realities, misinformation, and propaganda.

Returning to the discussion about architecture and reproductive technology, I personally find Benjamin’s fear inapplicable. As was mentioned in the reading, the Marxist interpretation of capitalism hinges on its self-destructive nature, with the oppressed proletariat revolting against their capitalist overlords, this parallels how reproductive media breaks down the barriers of entry to all forms of art, empowering the mass of modern audience to experience and form their own interpretation and connection with art.

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