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The relation between the artist and the audience is shown in the testimony of values we cherish within our community. In my view, it is up to the artist to bring these values to the audience's consciousness - something that can be achieved by presenting a proposal that has the form of a work of art. For the audience, the meaning of the work of art shows itself in the ways in which the artwork is able to suggest or evoke a [re]evaluation of the values we nurture. The artist tries to have the audience think about the values again by presenting a certain surprising, unexpected view on those values. By the (re)evaluation, the audience helps the artist in her (re)consideration of her role and position she takes in society. It is in this way that the audience completes the work of the artist.
I consider a work of art to be an active totality, covering not only the activities of the artist, but also those of the viewers.
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Testimonials of the viewers can make meaningful contributions to the work of art itself. Unfortunately, these testimonials are usually lost, since the viewer usually keeps his reflections to himself or discusses them only within a direct circle of acquaintances. Thus, the knowledge conveyed by the viewer's testimony is lost. If we take the idea of Testimonial in art seriously, the focus of attention shifts from the work of art as a 'thing' to that of a 'package'. As a consequence, the role of the artist, the role of the public, the role of philosophy, as well as the role of the work of art itself, change.
I start from the presupposition that the purpose of art as well as philosophy is to enrich ourselves and the world. From this point of view, an inquiry into the relationship between both disciplines through the notion of Testimonial is crucial, since the enrichment has to be communicated one way or another.
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