Abstract
THE TRANSFORMATION OF SQUARES AND MONUMENTAL STATUES PLACED IN SQUARES AS POLITICAL AND AESTHETIC IMAGE
Water is indispensable to humanity and life itself, since life as we know it would be impossible without it. In the current study, based on examples from the literature, the relationship between water and civilization was examined through artistic examples that present the shapeless, transforming and fluid characteristics of this relationship in an aesthetic manner. The relationship between water and art underwent some pragmatic changes from the first civilizations to the time when modernism attempted to complete its transformation. A pivotal moment in understanding this transformation’s connection to art is marked by Marcel Duchamp’s readymade, “Fountain”. The fountain’s potential for power over water becomes visible through some autonomous designs. The aesthetic applications in the presentation of the autonomous system create a relationship of forms. If we were to imagine Duchamp’s “Fountain” in use, it is suggested that the liquid would be expelled by the body, rather than a conventional spout. In addition, the reclining position of the urinal evokes the image of a pool. This biomechanical system, through the controversies it has generated as a morphological element, has offered different application areas within the content of contemporary art, and has become the ancestor of numerous contemporary movements such as body and readymade art. The flow of water from the fountain requires a hydro-mechanical automaton system. This relationship, which encompasses technical, aesthetic, civil, and essential reasons, has been examined through the lens of power, with a particular focus on the examples generated by this power. Drawing inspiration from Duchamp’s “Fountain” and the concepts explored in “The Morphology of Water: Fluidity and Movement in Art”, this study delves into the ways in which water has been employed as a means of artistic expression.
Keywords
Duchamp, Water, Fountain, Water Morphology and Art, Robotic Automat.
