Every day, we satisfy various needs, often without even thinking about it. We provide our bodies with food and water, seek safety, build relationships, and strive for recognition. Abraham Maslow, the American psychologist, organized these needs into a hierarchy, demonstrating that only once our basic needs are met do we begin to reach for something higher: meaning, personal growth, and aesthetic experience.
This is where art emerges—not as an addition to life, but as a natural consequence of human needs: the need to experience, understand, and search for something beyond the everyday.
Why Does Art Move Us?
Engaging with art goes far beyond passive observation—it is an experience that involves us emotionally and cognitively. Self-actualization and creativity belong to the higher levels of human needs, and art is one of their most important expressions. Research in the field of neuroaesthetics suggests that experiencing art activates areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward. The brain’s reward system releases chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which are linked to positive emotional states.
Experiencing art is often an attempt to understand the creator’s intentions and the meaning behind their work. As a result, art becomes not only a space for emotional engagement but also a way of interpreting the inner worlds of others, which may support social skills and foster deeper human connections.
Why Are We Drawn to the Unpleasant?
Although we tend to avoid discomfort in everyday life, the opposite mechanism often operates when it comes to art. Works that are unsettling, difficult to understand, or contrary to our sense of aesthetics can hold our attention for much longer. In such situations, curiosity and the desire to assign meaning prevail—we try to understand what initially appears unclear.
Art also possesses a unique ability to transform difficult emotions into experiences that can be perceived as valuable and even enjoyable. Research indicates that negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, or tension are experienced differently in the context of art than in everyday life. This is due to psychological distance, which reduces the direct emotional impact and makes it easier to appreciate negative content aesthetically.
As a result, difficult emotions can be experienced in a safe environment without real-life consequences, allowing us not only to feel them but also to understand them and give them meaning. Consequently, even experiences that initially seem unpleasant may become sources of aesthetic satisfaction.
Why Does Contemporary Art Seem Difficult?
Contemporary art is often perceived as challenging. This is partly due to its ambiguity and its use of a language that can be highly specialized or rooted in specific cultural contexts. As a result, the average viewer does not always possess the knowledge needed to fully interpret a work, which can create feelings of frustration and inaccessibility.
A report by Poland’s National Centre for Culture found that the belief that contemporary art is difficult to understand is widespread. Only 12.5% of respondents stated that they have no difficulty understanding contemporary art, while the largest group (38.3%) reported that they understand some works while others remain unclear. Importantly, many people avoid engaging with contemporary art not because they dislike it, but because they fear not understanding it.
At the same time, respondents indicated that the experience of art relies more on sensitivity and intuition than on intellectual analysis alone. In this sense, viewers do not merely interpret artworks—they actively participate in creating their meaning through their own experiences and emotions.
On Creating, Emotions, and Reception: An Artist’s Perspective
In this section, I give voice to Naomi Pomorska, a visual artist whose work combines painting, performance, and video art. She treats these mediums as tools for expressing inner experiences and reflections.
Art has always been part of her life, and her artistic education began at an art high school. She later graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, specializing in Graphics and Painting. While she currently focuses on painting and visual arts, her professional path also includes work as a UX/UI designer, creating mobile applications.
What intention guides your creative process?
I think my answer will be similar to that of many artists: it is primarily about expression and communicating what is currently happening within me. When I create, I try to transfer onto a canvas, into a performance, or into video art what occupies my mind. These thoughts gradually take shape as a visual language.
Not everything can be expressed through a single medium, which is why artists often work across multiple forms. I can give an example from my own experience. Recently, I was struggling with philosophical questions about the meaning of life and whether the search for meaning itself has any purpose. Everything felt absurd.
At the time, I was living in the United Arab Emirates and had access to the desert. I came up with the idea of a performance piece involving sweeping sand. It is a completely meaningless activity because it is impossible to sweep sand away in a desert. Why would such an action make any sense? Yet this became the perfect way to express my frustration and all those unanswered questions. The work became a form of purification for me, which is why I called it The Cleansing.
Do you create with the audience in mind, or primarily for yourself?
As an artist, I am aware that I do not create solely for myself—someone will eventually encounter my work. I would like viewers to find a part of themselves in it and connect with the emotions it expresses.
At the same time, personal expression is always my starting point. It is a bit like therapy: transforming emotions into artistic expression helps me process them. However, I also keep in mind that my work is partly for others—to show them that they are not alone in their experiences and that someone else may think or feel similarly. Many viewers find that reassuring and valuable.
Does art have to be understood to be valuable?
Within artistic circles, conversations about art are part of everyday life. I am surrounded by sensitive and emotionally open people, and there is rarely any concern about whether something is fully understood. Outside of those circles, however, I often meet people who do not create and are less accustomed to engaging with their inner worlds. In my view, art is more about feeling than understanding.
Of course, there are conceptual works based on extensive research that require intellectual engagement. In such cases, viewers examine documentation, context, and underlying ideas. Painting, especially abstract painting, functions differently. It is primarily about feeling and discovering one’s own emotions through interaction with the work.
Everyone has the right to interpret art in their own way. No one should dictate how a work should be understood or what emotions it should evoke. Just as each of us perceives colors differently, each of us experiences art differently—and that is what makes it fascinating.
Why do you think contemporary art is often perceived as incomprehensible and difficult?
I have often wondered about that myself. Fortunately, the art world has started discussing this issue openly, including within major cultural institutions. Curators increasingly acknowledge that exhibitions can sometimes become overly intellectualized and disconnected from audiences. I believe we are moving toward greater accessibility, both in visual language and curatorial practice.
It is also important to remember that contemporary art is not a single, uniform phenomenon. It differs significantly across regions. In Europe and the United States, artworks are often more conceptually demanding, whereas in Asia and the Middle East messages tend to be more direct and easier to interpret. This does not mean that one approach is superior to another. Different cultures have different needs and preferences, and institutions often adapt accordingly.
Should Art Explain Itself?
My answer would be both yes and no. In her essay Against Interpretation, Susan Sontag suggests that neither artists nor curators should impose a specific interpretation on viewers. On the other hand, offering a subtle clue can sometimes be helpful, especially when a work is built around a particular idea.
I apply this principle in my own social media communication. I usually add a few explanatory sentences but avoid imposing a single interpretation, leaving room for individual responses and emotional experiences.
What Are We Looking for in Art Today?
Art has always reflected reality, shaped both by artists’ personal experiences and by broader social and cultural developments. In recent years, environmental themes have become increasingly prominent. Artists frequently use recycled materials and treat art as a tool for raising awareness and encouraging reflection on ecological issues.
At the same time, technological developments are transforming how audiences experience art. Growing interest in new media, such as virtual reality, allows viewers to move beyond passive observation and actively participate in artistic experiences.
Art also continues to serve as a form of social commentary. Many contemporary works address issues such as inequality, identity, and human rights, provoking discussion within the public sphere.
Globalization plays an important role as well, turning art into a meeting place for diverse cultures and perspectives. Personalization is becoming increasingly significant, as audiences seek authentic works rooted in individual stories that allow them to recognize their own emotions and experiences.
In this way, art is gradually shifting toward dialogue. Viewers, through their sensitivity and personal histories, become co-creators of meaning, integrating artworks into their own narratives and experiences.
Author: Martyna Korczyńska, SWPS University Wrocław student
This article was written as part of an internship at The Talk Box.