Contested Territories: Opening Remarks by Rebecca Heald

Contested Territories: A Panel on Art, Aesthetics, and the Artworld as frame was recorded in 2006 at theTate Britain, as part of a public program organized in collaboration with Chelsea School of Art and Design and Naked Punch Review. The panel brought together three major figures in contemporary aesthetic thought—Arthur C. Danto, Thierry de Duve, and Richard Shusterman—for an unmoderated dialogue on the shifting boundaries between art, philosophy, and what we understand as the Art World.

This first episode features the opening remarks by Rebecca Heald, then Curator of Adult Programs at Tate Britain. In her introduction, Heald outlines the structure of the event, shares biographical context on the invited speakers, and reflects on the significance of bringing these three thinkers together. Her framing offers a valuable point of entry into the key themes of the panel—such as the end of art, the rise of Pop, the legacy of Duchamp, the politics of aesthetic legitimacy, and the philosophical implications of the Artworld as both concept and institution.

Listeners are invited to continue through the full series to hear the individual presentations and spontaneous discussions that follow.