Contemporary depictions of nudes in the tension between openness, tolerance and algorithmic censorship

Nude depictions are as old as art history itself and have repeatedly faced taboos and controversies throughout the centuries. Every person, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, reacts to visual and sexual stimuli that often transcend conventional boundaries. This is the scientific consensus.

the perspectives and forms of expression of nudity, eroticism, and sexuality in art have changed dramatically from antiquity to the present day. So-called "sexually explicit" art can significantly contribute to a more open societal perception of sexuality by being taboo-free and educational.

Since the 19th century, society seems to have experienced a development towards greater openness and tolerance with regard to erotic images and discourses (regional counter-developments excluded); different gender identities can also be lived out more visibly, while pornography no longer has to remain hidden behind the "shop counter" .

The development of erotic art since the second half of the 20th century has been closely linked to the groundbreaking research of figures such as Sigmund Freud and Magnus Hirschfeld. Their work broke down societal taboos and broadened the understanding of gender identities. These insights, along with social movements like the student movement and the legalization of pornography, fostered a more emancipated perception of sexuality, as Martin Seidel writes in the current issue of KUNSTFORUM magazine.

Films like Andy Warhol's Blue Movie marked milestones in this development and ushered in a new era of sexual representation. Today, art events are increasingly geared towards advancing the discussion about sexuality in an open, taboo-free, and informative way.

Let us consider, for example, the performance art of Marina Abramović, using the exhibition Balkan Erotic Epic (Sean Kelly Gallery, NY, 2006) as an example .There ,Abramović presented several video projections that explored the use of sexuality and the human body in pagan traditions of the Balkans. Through her research into Serbian folklore, Abramović discovered historical examples of how eroticism was used to cope with everyday challenges.

A remarkable example is women who, when it rains too heavily, don traditional costumes and reenact ancient rituals to appease the gods. These works explored, in a lasting way, the connection between folklore, culture, and the power of sexuality.

On the other hand, the depiction of nipples is already being censored online (see Facebook and Instagram), and AI chatbots stop responding when terms like "erotica" are entered. So how can nudity and the nude actually be clearly depicted in images?

This forms the compelling backdrop to the new KUNSTFORUM volume N/AKT, edited by Martin Seidel. Furthermore, the FORUM section of this volume offers many fascinating reports and conversations with artists. Among others, there are interviews with the current star of the dance scene, Isaac Chong Wai, as well as the musician, DJ, and performance artist Juliana Huxtable.

Furthermore, the current issue presents the new curator of documenta 16 , Naomi Beckwith; the editorial team visited the studio of Tomasz Kręcicki in Krakow, traveled to the Sharjah Biennale and to Chemnitz , the European Capital of Culture, to explore the Purple Path project

As loyal KUNSTFORUM readers are accustomed to, numerous in-depth reviews of current exhibitions and an exhibition calendar can also be found at the end of the issue.

Enjoy 320 pages of high-quality art criticism. Verdict: insightful.

Enjoy reading!