Talking about Art - How Descriptions of Art May Influence the Reception of Art. Analyzing Media Debates on Controversial Public Art in Light of Goffman.

In this paper I present some findings from a case study on media debates on public art and art projects in Norway between 2013 and 17, analyzed in light of Goffman’s theory on the Presentation of self. Each case was controversial and created intense media debates, critique and resistance among art critics and people in the public. I try to reveal why these cases became so controversial and led to exceptional and long-lasting media debates. By analyzing how the art proprietors, or officers in charge (responsible actors), were talking about the art, as well as how they were answering critique, a pattern appeared across the cases. Seemingly, the responsible actors contributed to create and reinforce the critique and resistance through the way they were describing and talking about the art from the beginning; when they presented the art, and when they defended it against critique in the media. In accordance with Goffman, they held on to their first description, based on their definition of the situation, trough the long-lasting media debates until each case reached a solution. By doing so, their answers to the critique seem to make them appear doubtful or even cynical, which in the next turn, increased the critique and resistance against the art, repeatedly. In other words, the responsible actors seem to contribute to create a negative spiral that increased the critique and resistance by the way they were talking about the art.