한국영상문화학회

Generally, in Western human science, spectator was considered as a passive observer of works of art and art performances, especially, cinema spectator who was ignored more than other spectators of arts. But, criticizing political art, Jacques Ranicère invents his term, ‘emancipated spectator’ in order to define newly ignorant spectator with his concept, ‘aesthetic efficacy’. Aesthetic efficacy means a paradoxical kind of efficacy that is produced by the very rupturing of any determinate link between cause and effect. In other words, it also means a suspension of specific effect to spectators from works or performances of artists. For Rancière who believe the equality of intelligence of anybody, by aesthetic efficacy, spectator appears not as a passive observer but as a positive interpreter of art and a ‘actor’, performer who express actively his feeling and opinion. Rancière emphasize the point of dissensus or the space of indetermination where spectator and work of art or artist oppose each other, rather than the discourse focusing on the art or the artist that try to awake spectator from ignorance. In particular, in aesthetic efficacy, ‘cinéphilie’ is invented by cinema which is a form of art experience available for everyone. It is a politics of amateur and shows characteristic of aesthetic regime. Finally, emancipated spectator is not spectator who is liberated form something, but spectator who is already emancipated with his or her own capacity and potential.