Georges Didi-Huberman

Rovina materiálu. Tvárnost, znepokojení, přežívání

The article considers the art historians' stance on unique materials, such as wax. In the introduction, the author characterises, with the help of the opinions of eminent philosophers and art theoreticians, its particular qualities, the most distinct of which is malleability, which accounts not only for the immediate expression of wax sculptures but also for the precision of its detail, which evokes a feeling of uneasiness in the viewer. The article is rooted in a critical analysis of the positions of art historians, who often adopt a negative stance toward wax as an artistic material and - under the weight of their own methodological concepts - exclude wax sculpture from the history of art. On the other hand, the author points out that wax - from the perspective of a material - debunks the academic idea of genre and art in general. The text is supplemented with the partial transcript of a discussion, lead by Petr Wittlich, which took place after Didi-Huberman's lecture in the French Institute in Prague in November 1997.

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