CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Hola, Eliska |
|---|---|
| Title | Intersecting Disability and Art: Audience Perceptions at Werd:Art Gallery-Cafe |
| Summary | This thesis explores audiences’ perceptions of the intersection of art and disability, defined as a moment of artistic production by an individual with a disability. Drawing on the discourse of the intersection referencing, both explicitly and implicitly, the medical, social and affirmation models of disability from the perspectives of the artists or art institutions, a perspective that seems to be notably absent is the reception of the intersection by art audiences. Addressing the gap, the main research question is: How do audiences perceive the intersection of disability and art? The thesis hypothesizes that audiences’ perceptions will be inconsistent and unevenly distributed across the theoretical frameworks of the medical, social and affirmation models of disability, similarly to existing literature. The research, exploratory in nature, is conducted through qualitative case study methodology, specifically through a focus group at Werd:Art in Vienna, a gallery-café exhibiting works of artists with intellectual disabilities. Its findings suggest that the hypothesis was correct. Focus group participants try to map the intersection through understanding its disability dimension, however, employ a critical perspective on their perceptions, while simultaneously extending their critical analysis onto the gallery-café. The artists seem to be perceived through disability art and the social model of disability; the art seems to be perceived mostly through the affirmation model of disability and disability aesthetics; lastly, Werd:Art seems to be perceived through the social model of disability. |
| Supervisor | von Zinnenburg Carroll, Khadija |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/hola_eliska.pdf |
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