Art, Agency and Living Presence

The book explores the historical and theoretical understanding of how viewers have interacted with art as if it were alive, expressing emotions like love or aggression. It aims to reconstruct significant moments in Western European thought regarding these responses, highlighting the increase in documented cases over the past two decades. By drawing on the works of Aby Warburg and Alfred Gell, it seeks to provide foundational insights into the complex relationship between viewers and art, contributing to a broader theoretical framework.