Response to Article

I find that the concept of detournement, which is about using or/and combining existing artwork to create a new piece of art, has its pros and cons. On the pros side, artists have the liberty to use and combine existing art works. By connecting materials from the world of reality in a fictional setting, artists discover a new way to turn their dull or uninteresting objects into something fresh and even original. I especially loved the way that Lavier superimposed a refrigerator onto an armchair. When two pieces of furniture which have nothing in common, are put together, they strongly clash, but they also reveal the artist’s creativity, and in Lavier's Brandt on Rue de Passy, to me, is quite humorous.

On the cons side, it may be unfair for artists whose works are copied by another artist with the purpose of creating a new meaning and even opposing the original meaning. This could devalorize the original artwork, which, I think, is not a pleasant thing.

This wave of contemporary art is a new thing to me. I have never heard of it and I am glad that I was introduced to it. In my opinion, whether detournement is used with or without the original artwork’s meaning, detournement should be encouraged and more explored as long as it is used in a non-offensive way. I believe that we need to be open-minded and always have extra rooms for new ideas.