Art Translation?

Have you ever grabbed an issue of ArtForum and wondered what the heck they were saying? You’re not the only one.

Here’s a quick guide of some of the words I have read throughout my research that, after twenty years working in the cultural sector, I have yet to hear someone speak in conversation.

Interested in the ways in which language can be used to project bias, exclude audience, and convey perceived superiority? Scroll to the bottom of the page for a reading list.

 Adjudicatory: to make an official decision about who is right in (a dispute) : to settle judicially

Autochthonous: found in a locality in which it originates,

Autopoiesis: the property of a living system (such as a bacterial cell or a multicellular organism) that allows it to maintain and renew itself by regulating its composition and conserving its boundaries

Bodily conatus: the innate, physical impulse present in all living beings to persist in their existence and enhance their bodies 

Epistemological :of, relating to, or based on epistemology : relating to the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge

Hermeneutic: relating to the meaning of texts and the ways in which they are understood 

Heterotopic: occurring in an abnormal place 

Illocutionary: relating to or being the communicative effect (such as commanding or requesting) of an utterance 

Liminal 1: of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response

2: of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional

Mnemonic: assisting or intended to assist memory

Polysemy: having multiple meanings 

Reciprocal elucidation: a learning process where people engage in a bidirectional exchange of ideas to collaboratively build knowledge and deepen understanding 

Shibboleth :  A: word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning

b: a widely held belief

Solipsistic : of, relating to, or characterized by solipsism or extreme egocentricity

Teleological: (in philosophy) involving the belief that everything has a purpose or use

"We strongly connect this highbrow cultural orientation to class background. We draw on a formidable body of research, again rooted in the work of Bourdieu, that highlights how preferences for legitimate "high" culture, as well as a command of the vocabulary and mode of aesthetic appreciation that accompanies it, are strongly tied to class background. This begins during the process of primary socialisation, whereby middle-class parents inclucate in their children certain valuable cultural "tools", such as knowledge and experience of the "high arts". For example, they are more likely to talk about cultural topics at home, or take their children to museums, theatres or art galleries.But they don't just introduce their children to legitimate culture; they also teach them to look and listen in specific ways, to employ a particular aesthetic lens, to "articulate" a particular citical lesson, as Alice puts it, and ultimately exude a seemingly natural confidence when speaking about culture. "

The Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to be Privileged by Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison, p. 154