CATHARSIS – AMB WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE CONTEMPORARY ART 2026 ©

In this year Art Management Berlin is inviting professional worldwide contemporary artists to engage themselves to participate to the new art books series project CATHARSIS – AMB WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE CONTEMPORARY ART 2026 © that invites the artworld to the new reflections, deepest visions, challenges and approaches.

The concept of Catharsis – AMB Worldwide Exclusive Contemporary Art 2026 © — where artists aim to facilitate emotional or societal purification through their work – holds significant relevance in today’s complex world.
Why contemporary artists should have a mission of purification through their art, which is referred to as a „Catharsis“ and what catharsis means?
Catharsis is a term from Aristotle’s Poetics, where he talks about the purification and purging of emotions through the art, especially tragedy. It’s like when you watch a sad play and you feel cleansed emotionally afterward.

Contemporary art is often seen as more conceptual, abstract, and sometimes political or social commentary. So why would purification be important here?
The world today has a lot of issues-social, political, environmental. Artists might use their work to help process these collective emotions. But how exactly?

So let us break it down. First, the role of the artist. If an artist’s mission is purification, they might be aiming to provoke a reaction that leads to emotional release or clarity. In a world saturated with information, art can cut through the noise and help people confront their feelings. For example, a piece about climate change might make people face their anxiety about the planet, leading to a cathartic experience that could motivate the actions.

Also, in contemporary society, there’s a lot of trauma-global pandemics, wars, and inequality. Art can be a medium to process this trauma, both for the artist and the audience. By creating works that address these issues, artists facilitate a shared experience of catharsis. This helps society heal or at least come to terms with these challenges.
Another angle is the personal aspect. The artists often explore personal trauma or struggle in their work. By doing so, they might achieve personal catharsis, which in turn resonates with others who have similar experiences. This creates a connection and mutual healing. Think of Frida Kahlo’s work, which was deeply personal but also universally relatable.

Here’s a structured exploration of its importance:
Confronting Collective Trauma
– Modern society grapples with global crises (climate change, pandemics, inequality) and systemic injustices.
– Role of Art: Artists act as mediators, creating works that force audiences to confront suppressed fears, anxieties, or traumas. This confrontation can lead to collective catharsis, fostering emotional release and clarity.
– Example: Installations addressing climate grief, like Olafur Eliasson’s glacial ice exhibits, evoke visceral reactions that may spur ecological awareness and action.

Personal and Shared Healing
– Artist as Catalyst: By channeling personal struggles (identity, trauma, marginalization) into their work, artists achieve self-purification while inviting audiences to resonate with shared vulnerabilities.
– Example: Tracey Emin’s confessional art, such as „My Bed“, transforms private pain into a universal narrative, fostering empathy and connection.

Disrupting Complacency
– Critical Function: Cathartic art often challenges apathy or denial by provoking discomfort. It destabilizes passive consumption, urging reflection on societal norms.
– Example: Banksy’s politically charged murals disrupt urban spaces, jarring viewers into confronting issues like war or consumerism. He’s politically charged with street art, which often aims to provoke thought and emotional responses about issues like war, surveillance, and consumerism. The catharsis here is in the confrontation with these issues, leading to a purging of apathy or ignorance.

Transformative Participation
– Immersive Engagement: Interactive or performance-based art for example Marina Abramović’s „The Artist Is Present“ that has demands audience participation, transforming observers into active agents of catharsis. This shared experience amplifies emotional and ethical reckoning. Think of performance art where the artist undergoes a physical ordeal, symbolizing a larger struggle. Her work often involves endurance, pushing her body to limits, which can be cathartic for both her and the viewers, making them reflect on pain, endurance, and human connection.

Counteracting Superficiality
– Depth in a Consumerist World: In an era of commodified culture, cathartic art resists superficiality by prioritizing emotional and intellectual depth. It maintains art’s role as a mirror to societal truths rather than mere decoration.

Diverse Forms of Purification
– Beyond Therapy: Catharsis isn’t limited to healing; it can also involve destabilization. Works like Kara Walker’s racially charged silhouettes confront historical violence, purging historical amnesia through uncomfortable dialogue.

Ethical and Aesthetic Balance
– Risk and Reward: While some critique cathartic art as overly therapeutic, its power lies in merging aesthetic innovation with ethical urgency. It avoids didacticism by inviting open-ended interpretation.

But wait, is there a risk here? Could focusing on catharsis make art too therapeutic, losing its aesthetic or critical edge? Or is the therapeutic aspect part of its critical function? In contemporary contexts, the line between art as therapy and art as social commentary is blurred. Purification through art doesn’t just mean making people feel better; it could mean forcing them to confront uncomfortable truths, thereby purging denial or complacency.
Also, considering the diversity in contemporary art, catharsis might take many forms. For some artists, it’s about personal expression and healing, while for others, it’s about societal healing. The importance would lie in the artist’s intention to provoke a transformative experience, whether personal or collective.

There’s also the aspect of audience engagement. In interactive or immersive contemporary art, the audience might physically or emotionally participate in the cathartic process. This active participation can make the purification more impactful, as the audience isn’t just passive observers but part of the art itself.

But why is this mission important?
Some might argue that not all art needs to have a mission of catharsis. Without such a purpose, art risks becoming superficial or purely decorative. Art can be many things-decorative, provocative, absurd, etc. But the question is why it’s important for contemporary artists to have this specific mission. So even if not, all art does it, the ones that do play a crucial role in addressing emotional and societal needs. In a consumerist society, art that challenges and purifies, serves a deeper purpose, maintaining its relevance and urgency. It becomes a necessary counterbalance to the often shallow or commercial aspects of culture.

AMB selected contemporary artists who embrace catharsis as a mission provide a vital service: they transform art into a space for reckoning, healing, and renewal. By addressing both personal and collective wounds, their work becomes a conduit for societal resilience, ensuring art remains a dynamic force for introspection and change. This mission is not just important – it’s a lifeline in navigating the chaos of modernity.

In summary, the importance lies in addressing and processing the complex, often traumatic realities of modern life. By facilitating catharsis, contemporary artists help individuals and societies confront, understand, and ultimately heal from these challenges, making their mission of purification vital for both personal and collective well-being.