Benjamin’s writing introduced me to the idea of technological reproduction and allowed me to connect such concepts to the status quo.
Technological reproduction allows artworks to be spread and made accessible easily. For instance, digital copies of a physical or ancient painting, or simply a photograph, as people across borders can reach out to these media anywhere, anytime. artworks and the idea of art are popularized, but as they become more accessible to the public, it also makes them fall victim to commercialization. This reminds me of NFTs, which can be understood as a collection of pricey digital icons nowadays. Different elements of an NFT icon needed to be designed and drawn, still, through technological advancements like coding and programming, thousands of combinations of an NFT can be generated and sold to the masses digitally. The purposes of acquiring NFTs are mostly to have access to certain communities and earn privileges like early access to products within these circles. Since they are made very accessible to the public, a potential market is found, resulting in the commercialization of these digital artworks. In this case, profits have a much higher value than art appreciation, leading to a threat of creative processes and artistry gradually losing their significance.
Ho Charlotte Kristen 3036078613
Nice summary on Benjamin’s central ideas. Your personal reflections of the theatre space and how it creates a hypnotic experience, and application of technological reproduction with NFT is insightful. You have explained how the “aura” is exchanged with a different measure of value in contemporary society, and how profit in a capitalistic system interferes with Benjamin’s interpretation of art today.