Abstract

This article explores the interplay between aesthetics and ethics, particularly in their contribution to the production of a new subjectivity. Traditionally, ethics and aesthetics have been perceived as distinct disciplines: ethics primarily addresses “how to act,” which is rooted in moral principles, while aesthetics pertains to “how to perceive and appreciate” beauty and art. However, drawing on the concepts of immanent ethics and sensation from Gilles Deleuze, a notable post-structuralist philosopher, this article postulates that both disciplines are underpinned by affectivity: the body’s capability to affect and to be affected. In other words, this article views affectivity as a catalyst for generating new sensations and modes of existence during encounters between bodies. A prominent example is Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s large-scale interactive installation, Border Tuner (2019), which serves as a platform for dialogue among residents of the US-Mexico border. This interactive installation sheds light on participants’ transformative expression of “becoming a people to come” that demands an ethico-aesthetic framework to contextualize such experience. Conclusively, this article seeks to understand how aesthetic experience resonates within ethical contexts and underscores the pivotal role of art in shaping societal perspectives.