Relational ekphrasir

A proposal of categorization from a reading of Enrique Vila-Matas' The illogic of Kassel

Abstract

The transformations in the visual arts sphere, with the absorption of discourses and supports that made them a space permeable to almost any and all practices, also lead to a renewal of the theoretical apparatus that accompanies them. Thus, we propose, in this article, that the ekphrasis, when related to new ways of making art, also undergoes changes. Starting from The Illogic of Kassel, a novel by Enrique Vila-Matas in which ekphrasis occupies a central place as a narrative procedure, we think of the relational ekphrasis as a possible and exemplary category for looking at the ekphrastic text in the face of new artistic practices. In this case, the focus is on production focused on relational aesthetics, by Nicolas Bourriaud, as a paradigmatic case. From this category, it is possible to think about developments and other readings.