Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction highlights the impact of mass media on art and culture. The concept of aura – the unique essence of an original work of art – is replaced by the infinite reproducibility of mechanical reproduction. This idea is not without its benefits and drawbacks, which have been apparent in the last century.
On the negative side, mechanical reproduction doesn’t respect the art piece itself. It’s just simply a duplicate. For example, hearing an orchestra playing at the theatre is different from listening to the same song on your Homepod. The atmosphere, touch even the smell of the paper is lost during the process of duplication. In this circumstance, can we still say they are the same art piece? Moreover, the loss of aura and the devaluation of original works of art can lead to a loss of cultural heritage, by reducing the importance of original works, we may be losing valuable aspects of cultural history. In addition, the mass media and its ability to reproduce content can also result in misinformation and the spreading of harmful ideas. The lack of quality control in the age of social media can lead to the spread of false narratives and the erosion of trust in traditional media.
On the other hand, duplication can help art pieces spread wildly. In the 1800s, you may only need to spend a little money to see something at a museum, but you need spend more on travel and sort of things. Art pieces should not be held in the hand of the upper class but all human beings. The reproducibility of mechanical reproduction may cause the loss of “aura”, but it helps more people get in touch with the art world.
Furthermore, duplication doesn’t affect the art piece itself. For example, nowadays more people enjoyed reading paper-book instead of reading it on electronic devices. Duplication can’t show people the aura of an art project, but it didn’t take them away. Instead, people who are attracted by the duplication may try to see the original piece. Isn’t it a good thing?
In conclusion, keep in mind that reproducibility has potential negative effects. Beyond that, we can enjoy mass media’s positive aspects and content’s infinite reproducibility.