Stepin A.V. Walter Benjamin and Dietmar Kamper: Decay of Aura and Delusion of Media

Abstract: In his article Stepin analyzes the turn in German critical theory from Walter Benjamin to Dietmar Kamper in the second half of the 20th entury. The total mobilization of the world performed by the means of technical devices leads to the decay of aura in an artwork which means the loss of its history, unique nature and presence. New art initially inclined towards violence and propaganda aestheticizes politics. This process reaches the apogee in Nazi Germany. However, at that very moment culture experiences a fundamental change - the 'iconic' turn caused by the rapidly growing power of visual media. Aestheticization of politics is being replaced with aestheticization of activity and the death of aura is replaced with the 'commited crime'.  The comparative research performed by Stepin is based on the two methodological concepts: hermeneutics with the elements of phenomenology and culture-historical analysis.  Both Walter Benjamin and Dietmar Kamper come to the idea of revolution. They view revolution as a tool to 'stop' the history - the 'shutdown' of history. However, the proletariat Walter Benjamin laid his hopes on cannot get a hold of that trigge because the wall where the trigger is is not the sociality but the Reality. Only a performance artist is able to destroy the dictatorship of visibility and therefore Dietmar Kamper developes the idea of a new 'body revolution'.     

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