Walter Benjamin - The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Full Audiobook)

“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (1935), by Walter Benjamin, is an essay of cultural criticism which proposes and explains that mechanical reproduction devalues the aura (uniqueness) of an objet d’art. That in the age of mechanical reproduction and the absence of traditional and ritualistic value, the production of art would be inherently based upon the praxis of politics. Written during the Nazi regime (1933-1945) in Germany, Benjamin’s essay presents a theory of art that is “useful for the formulation of revolutionary demands in the politics of art” in a mass-culture society.
The subject and themes of Benjamin’s essay: the aura of a work of art; the artistic authenticity of the artefact; its cultural authority; and the aestheticization of politics for the production of art, became resources for research in the fields of art history and architectural theory, cultural studies and media theory.
The original essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of its Technological Reproducibility”, was published in three editions: (i) the German edition, Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit, in 1935; (ii) the French edition, L'œuvre d'art à l'époque de sa reproduction mécanisée, in 1936; and (iii) the German revised edition in 1939, from which derive the contemporary English translations of the essay.

[@tirthankarbiswas52]

3:30 ¹ Lithography & Photography 7:44 ² Art & Time and space 13:15 ³ social basis of the Aura 16:54 ⁴ Tradition in Art 20:00 ⁵ Exhibition 22:36 ⁶ Exhibition in Photography 24:50 ⁷ Painting vs Photography 28:40 ⁸ stage actor vs film actor 30:10 ⁹ Pirandelo

[@mccabestevenson]

thanks bro i didn't want to have to read this for class

[@elel2608]

17:58 art and ritual function. Magical.

[@rayisincrisis]

Thank you so much for this, English is not my first language so it's hard to read this heavy book without knowing the intonation of every sentences. So this helps a lot! *Wish me luck on my tomorrow's quiz about this book tho

[@drnnl]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[@SK-le1gm]

Now I know where McLuhan got his inspiration. Wow this is fantastic. Thank you a million times thanks 🍻

[@magicknight13]

Thank you for this great upload!!! Perfect

[@elel2608]

19:59 no longer based on ritual but politics

[@psypherul1171]

Thanks. Have a like

[@elel2608]

22:46 in photography exhibition value was replacing the cult value

[@lauragomes22]

Thank you so much!

[@charlottemaenicolebustaman7130]

thank you for this!! ❤

[@elel2608]

8:01 unique existence

[@b8akaratn]

I wish the critique of Fascism didn't sound so much like glorification of it, at the end. 😢

[@oskar5724]

Thanks

[@elel2608]

36:09 phony spell of commodity

[@yasserwaleedyasserwaleed5578]

Thanks 😊

[@AudioPervert1]

Thanks ❤️ was looking for this book

[@elel2608]

10:31 lose of aura or presence

[@elel2608]

18:18 secular cult of beauty

[@robotubetwob]

Does Benjamin like the aura or not?

[@nellfromhell7192]

15:00 he basically describes the aura as "what makes the art unique" which is such a vague concept it can have a of both positive and negative connotations

[@elel2608]

25:29 separation from cult…no authenticity

[@zebraylonwoodruff6773]

Hell yeah

[@okwaleedpoetry]

hmmm

[@purppurasusi]

Some of your articulation is a bit sloppy and incomprehensible, especially for a book with this level of detail. But an overall good read, thank you!