Contested Territories: Richard Shusterman - Art, Experience, and the Everyday

In this episode of the Contested Territories series, Richard Shusterman offers a compelling alternative to both Danto’s Artworld approach and de Duve’s theoretical framing by reasserting the primacy of aesthetic experience—not as detached contemplation, but as embodied practice ultimately grounded in the aesthetics of everyday life.

Reflecting on the philosophical limits of traditional Anglo-American aesthetics, Shusterman revisits Pop Art, popular culture, and his own personal journey through analytic philosophy and pragmatism. Drawing from his influential work in somaesthetics, he challenges the metaphysical separation between art and reality, arguing for a model of art that enhances how we live, feel, and relate to the world around us.

His talk opens the door for a philosophy of art that is less about institutional recognition and more about cultivating human flourishing—offering a vision of cultural engagement that bridges theory, politics, and lived experience.