Exposició virtual: Imatges del sublim

With Kant, at the Crossroads Between Creation and Interpretation

Thanks to a grant from PlaClik, requested by the predoctoral researcher Sergi Castellà Martínez, the seminar for the Modern and Contemporary Aesthetics course in the Humanities Degree (2021–22) was dedicated to exploring the interrelationship between the creative and critical dimensions of philosophy.

The Modern and Contemporary Aesthetics course, taught by Professor Amador Vega, focused on examining the various meanings of the aesthetic notion of the sublime. The seminar, led by Castellà Martínez, involved a close reading of the “Analytic of the Sublime” by Immanuel Kant, one of the most influential texts in shaping the modern understanding of this aesthetic category. Within this framework, students were tasked with engaging in a dialogue that was both creative and interpretative with the author. Working in groups, they selected a contemporary image which, when examined alongside Kant’s text, could serve to illustrate the evolving interpretations of the sublime in the 20th and 21st centuries. Rooted in a category that has historically explored the boundaries and nature of knowledge, the act of reflecting on the philosophical text through images that engage and dialogue with it underscores the role of creativity in reading and interpretation.

To enhance this approach, the course included guest appearances by two artists, Moon Ribas and Pol Guasch, who presented parts of their work and shared with students the concepts and language of their artistic practice. This artistic-academic collaboration highlights the enduring relevance of investigating the sublime dimension of aesthetic practice and experience—a theme that resonates with both creators and interpreters alike.