The avant-garde and the dialectical principle of artistic involvement For a considerable period, the essence of the avant-garde was to astonish the bourgeois, as "artistic sensibility consistently comes before the conventional visual perception of the masses," as articulated by Fernand Léger.
That is the notion of the avant-garde, whether Marxist or creative, that we must revitalize by creating without pretence, without commercial considerations, or the necessity to resist any avant-garde in the pursuit of dominance. A valuable resource to consult is Michel Ragon's writings on art brut and the creative abilities of non-professionals. Nevertheless, the avant-garde had a significant impact. This portrayal of the artist-prophet incites, astonishes, promotes enlightenment by challenging the audience's preferences. If taste is genuinely "the repetition of a habit," as Marcel Duchamp posits, then any groundbreaking artistic creation unavoidably challenges it. Openness within a closed system entails a kind of sedition. Indeed, what was deemed offensive in the past is no longer so in the present, as the circumstances have undergone a transformation. Hence, modern art no longer violates artistic norms, which are excessively permissive, but rather social or political biasments. Contemporary artists are challenging authority, social norms, communal conditioning, and no longer academic regulations, which are no longer considered inherently incompatible. In the realm of visual arts, as well as in other domains, the present moment no longer allows for the reduction of art to mere instruments in support of a particular flag, even one of African descent, or a limited agenda. Starting in the 1930s, during a period when avant-garde art was increasingly entrenched in aggressive methodologies, André Breton criticized a tendency that had been prevalent in modernity: the submission of artistic expression to a predetermined agenda. "There are still many individuals in the world who believe that aligning poetry and art solely with an idea, regardless of its excitement, would quickly render them immobile and place them at a dead end." Yet, creating art is inherently a political act. Within a few decades, the oeuvre of artists has transitioned from being confidential to being widely visible: it has become a forum where all viewpoints are articulated, including a political and social awareness. Rejecting the role of illustration, creation is thus inherently seditious; it must embrace the potential and exceed its own boundaries. It is imperative that the experimental drive animates it as it facilitates movement rather than immobilization. The conventional "provocation" is no longer effective, and the political aspect of a piece no longer mandates the "shocking" and dramatic display. The habitual exposure to capitalist propaganda paradoxically leads us to be indifferent to the overt arrogance shown in works that blame the suffering of the world, therefore denying us some valuable lessons in the process. Recent years have witnessed a trend that is endeavoring to revert back to the social level. While exhibiting many and extremely fragmented manifestations, this movement consistently strives to maintain its autonomy. Starting in the early 1990s, artists have been utilizing self-managed locations, known as artists' run spaces, to showcase their own works and coordinate their own strategic promotion. Although it does not alter the regulations of the underground, this self-promotional support possesses a unique characteristic: it does not strive to integrate the art system at any expense, but rather stays on the outside and operates on the outskirts without necessarily advocating for its transformation into a central hub. The concept of the "artistic periphery" that is highly valued by the avant-garde is no longer only regarded as the starting point for the reconquest, as if the center itself were the only significant consideration. The concept of artistic periphery can be translated as a topo focused on labor and inter-phalansterian interaction (where a small libertarian structure seeks touch with another small libertarian structure), prior to being consumed by satellization, exclusion, or resentment.
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