In the Footsteps of Adorno: Mass Culture and Kitsch. In Krytyka, No. 1–2 (87–88), 2005, pp. 32–37.

The text provides a synthesizing overview of the main theoretical approaches to understanding mass culture and kitsch, as well as their role in contemporary art and social space. The theoretical foundation of the study is formed by the works of Theodor W. Adorno, in particular his analytical elaborations on the phenomena of kitsch and the “culture industry.” Drawing on Adorno’s positions, the author focuses on the processes of fabrication and illusory imitation manifested in various spheres of contemporary society, while also engaging ideas developed by other representatives of postmodernist and critical philosophical traditions.

The work is structured into six thematic sections, each offering a distinct yet interconnected perspective on the analysis of kitsch and mass culture. These phenomena are examined in relation to mass production and the processes of reification and alienation. Special attention is given to their correlations with fetishization, de-aestheticization, and the production of a “new reality” that mimics another while remaining devoid of substantive content. The final thematic block is devoted to an analysis of avant-gardism and other currents of modern art, which the author interprets as specific manifestations of kitsch and massification within the artistic sphere.