THREE STORIES THAT EXPLAIN: WHAT IS ART? | ثلاث قصص تشرح ما هو الفن
By Yijia Lu, Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Economics)

ORIGINAL


TRANSLATION
1. Art and its Audience
After seeing many art masterpieces, he stopped in front of a “No Entry” sign next to an empty exhibition room. “I am sorry but this is not art,” said the museum’s security guard. “I think it is beautiful,” replied the visitor. “But how?” the security guard asked. Staring at the untidy room for a full minute, she burst out laughing: “How? How?”
A crowd gathered in front of the empty room to appreciate the artistry of its emptiness.
2. Art in our Life
Easter Island was once the most difficult place to travel to in the world. However, in the 21st century, I arrived there after watching only two movies in one flight. I walked along the seashore of the island for three days and did not see anyone for much of the day. I continued walking until big houses turned into small dots. I felt like a bird ying above the empty land, as the island became my island. On the last day, I went to Poike to look for “Ana O Keke,” a hidden cave. I did not know its exact location. After reaching Poike, I looked for its entrance. I knew that I had to descend the cliff of Poike to reach the cave but I did not know where to begin my descent. I tried for two hours and felt unsafe. Convincing myself that my life was more important than the cave, I aborted my descent.
I do not know when I will return again to look for “Ana O Keke” in the future. And I hesitate, because I fear that its discovery will alter my beautiful memory from this trip, the incompleteness of which makes me think of it often.
3. Art in Slowing Down
In Paris, every bridge has a song or a poem, and every street has witnessed millions of forgotten love stories. We feel their presence whenever we hear the names of these streets and bridges, as we think of someone in the past who must have already wondered about this futuristic visit of ours at this moment and about those visitors who will come after us.
When you are in Paris, you must walk slowly — you must cross the river very slowly, just like the water in it ows. Then you will discover something new every time. Slowness is our nature.
And What is Art?
Art cannot exist without its audience. Art does not become art until someone looks at it artistically (in different ways). Sometimes the artist is the very first of her audience to appreciate her work. Each one of us can be an artist just as we can all write articles. The difference is how we do it. Art takes time. Art is about taking time to live our life slowly.

