Towards the automatic identification of exclusionary argumentative biases in contemporary Western art

ongoing

In contemporary Europe, art is used as a means of social exclusion, in contravention of Article 21 (Non-discrimination) of the EU Fundamental Rights Charter. Art is at the centre of exclusionary narratives that directly associate certain forms of artistic expression with dementia and crime, among other controversial issues. Specifically, Western culture has coined the term Outsider Art, along with other derogatory and patronizing labels, to marginalize creators from minority groups, arguing that artworks by those artists are not “meant” to be exhibited in traditional museums and galleries. Using biased arguments, which can be referred to as Exclusionary Arguments, the conventional art establishment questions the legitimacy or authenticity of this type of art and promulgates the idea that it is less valuable than academically recognised art. The ArTguments project seeks to address this issue by developing an automated method for identifying Exclusionary Arguments in the arts, aiming to reduce the entrenched narratives that hinder equitable representation and recognition of all forms of artistic expression in contemporary Western art. This research operates on the hypothesis that Exclusionary Arguments can be identified computationally since they display stable cognitive structures expressed through identifiable linguistic patterns. Hence, the research methodology employed involves applying Argument Mining techniques in order to identify and analyse the Exclusionary Arguments embedded in artistic discourse. ArTguments innovatively addresses exclusion in the art world by introducing Exclusionary Arguments as a novel cognitive and communicative unit, offering a systematic approach to analysing exclusion dynamics within discourse. The project will produce key resources, including a catalogue of best practices with actionable recommendations for promoting an inclusive discourse in museums, and a formal proposal for establishing an Observatory for Inclusive Art Discourse.