Aesthetic Politics and/or Political Aesthetics Today: On Aesthetic Perspectives on Culture, Politics, and Landscape: Appearances of the Political

Abstract

The present contribution represents a review article focused on the book Aesthetic Perspectives on Culture, Politics, and Landscape: Appearances of the Political, published in 2022 by Elisabetta Di Stefano, Carsten Friberg and Max Ryynänen. My review article first takes into examination the general structure of the book and its place in contemporary debates on the political potential of the aesthetic dimension and, conversely, the aesthetic relevance of political concepts and events. Then, I analyze into detail the main contents of the eight chapters that form the book, highlighting their commonalities but also their differences, and thus the way in which all together they contribute to create the unity in diversity that characterized the book. In this context, I also hint at some possible comparisons with the stimulating perspectives on certain phenomena that have been disclosed by other authors, like Richard Shusterman on the bodily dimension of felt atmospheres or Theodor W. Adorno on the question of natural beauty. Finally, I sketch some provisional conclusions about the relevance of inquiring into the question of aesthetic politics and/or political aesthetics today, like Aesthetic Perspectives on Culture, Politics, and Landscape meritoriously attempts to do in a fresh and original way.