通過藝術獲得解放：藝術政治化的理論與實踐

Abstract

藝術在當代，總是存在一種介入政治，甚至作為政治工具的傾向：大眾藉助藝術表達自己的訴求，傳播相應的觀點，或作為反抗政府、反抗霸權的方式；抑或是統治階級推崇與他們意識形態相協調的藝術，壓制他們認為是頹廢的、反動的藝術，以達到全方位的、潛移默化的政治控制；甚至是國際關係政治學中的，通過藝術作為政治滲透的手段，操縱選舉、引發顏色革命，作為文化戰爭、認知作戰的重要武器。而當我們談論到這類關於藝術與政治的議題時，無論是從哲學、政治學、文藝評論還是文化研究等視角切入，華特．班雅明的「藝術政治化」理論總是佔據著舉重輕重的地位。 班雅明作為法蘭克福學派的代表人物，於1935年二戰前夕，法西斯主義日益崛起之際，在〈藝術作品在其可技術性複製時代〉一文中發展馬克思關於藝術與生產的論述，藉由技術性複製這一跨時代的技術，探討由生產方式的變革引發的藝術的革新，進而對社會、個人造成的影響。這是基於唯物史觀的研究路徑對藝術的剖析，指出了藝術作品中蘊含的解放作用，即「藝術政治化」，用以抗爭法西斯主義的「政治美學化」。 儘管受到時代背景與現實壓力的限制，班雅明未能明確提供實現藝術政治化的具體方法，然而，他的藝術政治化理論對後世產生了深遠影響，特別是在第二次世界大戰結束之後，這一理論為藝術在反抗霸權與追求解放過程中的功能提供了堅實的理論基礎。在20世紀中後期，以藝術政治化為核心理念的「前衛藝術」流派逐漸興盛，在這一時期，居伊．德波作為其重要的思想家與實踐者，於1957年聯合一批哲學家與前衛藝術家，共同創立了「情境主義國際」組織，並提出了具體的藝術政治化實踐方法。他將藝術視為政治革命的有力工具，在1968年法國的「五月風暴」中發揮了重要作用。因此，從班雅明到德波，藝術政治化的理論歷久彌新，為大眾提供了一種有效的反抗與解放工具。這一理論不僅在當時的社會中產生了重大影響，也為後世的藝術理論與政治思想產生了深遠的啟示。 本研究首先著眼於當下的時空背景，以班雅明的思想為線索，論述藝術與政治的關係，討論藝術政治化理論何以成為可能；其次，梳理藝術政治化的理論框架，包括技術對藝術的影響以及藝術作品的解放作用；最後，將藝術政治化理論落實到現實層面，以情境主義國際的發展為例，特別關注德波的藝術實踐理論的影響。藉此，本研究將以班雅明的「藝術政治化」理論為根基，論證在當代時空背景下，藝術解放大眾的政治作用。

In contemporary society, art is invariably intertwined with politics, often used as a political tool: the public uses art to express their demands, disseminate particular perspectives, or as a means to rebel against governments and hegemonies. Alternatively, the ruling class may promote art that aligns with their ideologies and suppresses those they consider decadent or reactionary, thereby achieving pervasive and subtle political control. Art also emerges in international political relations as a means of political infiltration, manipulating elections, inciting color revolutions, and serving as a vital weapon in cultural and cognitive warfare. When discussing these issues of art and politics, no matter through which approaches—philosophy, political science, literary criticism, or cultural studies—Walter Benjamin's theory of the "politicization of art" always holds a significant place. As a representative figure of the Frankfurt School, Benjamin developed Marx's discourse on art and production in his essay The Work of Art in the Age of Technological Reproduction in 1935, on the eve of World War II, as fascism was on the rise. He explored the consequent impacts on society and the individual triggered by the innovation in art provoked by the transformation of production methods. Grounding on the historical materialism approach, he pointed out the liberating function embodied in artworks, namely the "politicization of art", to resist the "aestheticization of politics" of fascism. Despite the constraints of his time and practical pressures, Benjamin did not provide a clear strategy for achieving the politicization of art. However, his theory had a profound influence on future generations. Particularly after the end of World War II, it constructed a robust theoretical foundation for the function of art in the process of resisting hegemony and seeking liberation. In the mid-late 20th century, while the school of "avant-garde" centered on the politicization of art gradually flourished, Guy Debord, an important thinker and practitioner, co-founded the "Situationist International" with a group of philosophers and avant-garde artists in 1957. The specific methods for the practice of politicizing art they proposed, as a powerful tool for political revolution, played a significant role in the "May 1968" events in France. Hence, from Benjamin to Debord, the theory of the politicization of art has continued to refresh itself, providing the public with an effective tool for resistance and liberation. This theory had not only a significant impact on society at the time, but also profound implications for subsequent theories of art and political thought. This thesis first focuses on the contemporary spatiotemporal context, using Benjamin's thoughts as a guide, to discuss the relationship between art and politics and how the theory of politicizing art became possible. Second, it clarifies the theoretical framework of the politicization of art, including the influence of technology on art and the liberating function of artworks. Finally, it brings Benjiamin's theory of politicizing art to a practical level, by taking the development of the Internationale situationniste, particularly the influence catalyzed by Debord's theory of art practice as an example. Through this, the thesis argues for the political function of art in liberating the public in the contemporary spatiotemporal context based on Benjamin's "politicization of art" theory.