The Accident of Art

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by Sylvere Lotringer and Paul Virilio

Semiotext(e)

Due/Published June 2003, 120 pages, paper

ISBN 1584350202

In this dialogue with Sylvère Lotringer, Virilio argues that "the art of the motor" (electronics, computer, Internet, and so on) has surpassed the static nature of the visual arts. Digital technology has replaced the analogical, and art has become extra-retinal. Something has been lost in the arts of the twentieth century and their very success is their failure. But this critique is not a condemnation. On the contrary, an accident is always positive. It reveals something that otherwise would not have been perceived, and acknowledging it is a sign of hope. The accident of art announces a reversal of the tendencies and values traditionally associated with art.