The 19th-century idea of “art for art’s sake,” propagated by Théophile Gautier and Oscar Wilde, proposed that art should be appreciated solely for its beauty and creativity. According to this perspective, art didn't need to serve any practical function or convey moral messages; it was valuable just for its aesthetic and intellectual appeal. This was a response to earlier beliefs that art was primarily a tool for social or moral purposes.
Instead, “art for art’s sake” celebrated art's intrinsic worth, suggesting that its core value lay in its ability to inspire and delight, independent of any external use. As the 20th century began, this viewpoint started to evolve. The Bauhaus movement, led by Walter Gropius, introduced a revolutionary approach that blended art with functionality.
Bauhaus designers argued that art shouldn’t just be visually pleasing but should also serve practical purposes. This marked a significant shift from the “art for art’s sake” philosophy. The Bauhaus movement showed that art could integrate creativity with utility, applying artistic principles to everyday objects and making them both beautiful and functional.
The Head of Franz Kafka, also known as the Statue of Kafka, is an outdoor kinetic sculpture by David Černý depicting Bohemian German-language writer Franz Kafka | I experienced this shift first-hand in 1993 when I organized a functional art show in Mumbai. This event featured chairs and tables designed to be more than ju.