When Pixels Replace Presence: Reframing Aesthetic Experience in the Post-Digital Era

Abstract

One of the most crucial transformations tracing back to digital technology is that aesthetic experiences are increasingly mediated by screen-based visual representations. The pixels replace presence phenomenon creates epistemological challenges in the sphere of art education, leading educators to ask questions regarding how much depth there is to meaning, if reflective engagement is at all possible, and what the aesthetic experiences are for students. The goal of this article is to theorize the idea of an aesthetic experience in the post-digital age via a synthesis of Jean Baudrillard’s (1981) insights on simulacra, Walter Benjamin’s (1969) writings on aura and John Dewey’s (1934/2005) theories about aesthetic experience. The research method used is literature study with a critical analysis approach. The results of the study indicate that digital mediation has the potential to reduce aesthetic experience to fragmented visual consumption but also opens new pedagogical opportunities in expanding access and sparking curiosity. Therefore, a pedagogical approach is needed that can integrate digital experiences and embodied experiences reflectively. This article provides a theoretical contribution to the development of post-digital art pedagogy that emphasizes the importance of a balance between representation and presence in the learning process.