I first picked up on the term in a paper by Dany Guay-Bélanger.
“Games are much more than entertainment; they are art, they are software, but they are also inherently social. They are represented in movies and books and are the source for a plethora of derivative material, such as clothing and toys. All of which hold on to the game’s aura.” [@AssemblingAuraGuayB2022, p.667]
In media theory, the concept of “aura” is primarily associated with Walter Benjamin’s work, particularly his influential essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” The aura refers to the unique quality or essence of an original artwork that is lost through mechanical reproduction. Benjamin’s concept of aura remains a fundamental idea in media theory, providing a framework for understanding how technological reproduction affects our perception and valuation of art and cultural objects.
Aura is:
- A “strange weave of space and time” that gives an artwork its unique presence
- Connected to the authenticity and originality of a work of art
- An effect of an artwork being uniquely present in time and space
- Associated with the artwork’s embeddedness in tradition and ritual contexts
The concept of aura has several implications:
- It challenges traditional notions of art appreciation and value
- It reflects changes in perception and experience brought about by new media technologies
- It relates to broader social and cultural shifts, such as the democratization of art and the rise of mass culture
Aura is closely tied to aesthetic experience in several ways:
- Uniqueness and Authenticity: The aura of an artwork is linked to its uniqueness and authenticity, which are key considerations in aesthetic appreciation.
- Aesthetic Experience: Aura contributes to the overall aesthetic experience of an artwork, influencing how viewers perceive and engage with it.
- Cultural Context: The aura of an artwork is connected to its embeddedness in tradition and cultural context, which shapes its aesthetic value.
- Exhibition Value: The loss of aura through mechanical reproduction has shifted the focus from cult value to exhibition value, changing how we aesthetically engage with art.
Aura also has strong ties to phenomenological concepts:
- Perception of Distance: Benjamin describes aura as a “strange weave of space and time: the unique appearance or semblance of distance, no matter how close it may be”. This aligns with phenomenological interests in perception and experience.
- Lived Experience: The concept of aura relates to the phenomenological focus on lived experience and how we encounter objects in the world.
- Collapse of Subject-Object Divide: The experience of aura involves a loss of self and merging with the art object, which resonates with phenomenological ideas about the relationship between subject and object.
- Indeterminacy: Adorno’s interpretation of aura as involving fundamental indeterminacy aligns with phenomenological approaches to understanding perception and meaning-making.