Walter Benjamin, second tecnique of art and cultural policy of avantgarde

Authors

  • Aleksi Lohtaja JYU
  • Taneli Viitahuhta JYU

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17409/kpt.63289

Abstract

This article provides a fresh look into Walter Benjamin’s famous essay, “Artwork in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (1936). Following Benjamin scholar Esther Leslie, we claim that Benjamin’s lesser-known concept of “second technique” is integral for understanding both the meaning of essay as well as mapping the political and artistic aims of the 1920’s avant-garde movements in general. The article is structured around two cases of avant-garde, both of which are central already for Benjamin, but remain somewhat under-theorized in connection to Benjamin. These are the Soviet constructivist film and the idea of glass construction in Weimar-era German architecture.

Keywords: Walter Benjamin, second technique of art, avantgarde, film, architecture

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Published

2018-05-02

How to Cite

Lohtaja, A., & Viitahuhta, T. (2018). Walter Benjamin, second tecnique of art and cultural policy of avantgarde. Cultural Policy Research Yearbook , 3(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.17409/kpt.63289