THE HISTORY OF ART HISTORY OF THE XXI CENTURY: BASIC CONCEPTS AND APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of transformations in contemporary art history in the 21st century, caused by globalization processes, the digitization of culture, and the interdisciplinary nature of humanities knowledge. It is emphasized that the classical categories of fine art – drawing, graphics, and composition – acquire new meaning and functions in the new sociocultural and technological conditions. They are considered not only as technical means of artistic practice, but also as universal means of thinking, symbolic communication, and representation of cultural memory. The work analyzes contemporary scientific approaches and concepts that define the latest trends in the development of art criticism. In particular, attention is focused on cognitive and neuroscientific studies that initiated the formation of the fields of neuroaesthetics and neuroart; anthropological interpretations that view art as a network of social interactions and the agency of material objects; contemporary readings of the Ukrainian avantgarde in a decolonial key; as well as concepts of metamodernism that explain the oscillation between modernist and postmodernist sensibilities in the visual arts. Special emphasis is placed on the Ukrainian context, where the combination of national traditions and avant-garde heritage with European and global trends creates a unique space for artistic exploration. It is determined that contemporary art history increasingly goes beyond the descriptive analysis of works of art, focusing on a comprehensive understanding of artistic processes in a broad cultural, social, and technological context. It is concluded that the development of art history in the 21st century is linked to the need to rethink methodological foundations and update the conceptual apparatus capable of taking into account the challenges of the digital age, globalization changes, and new forms of artistic expression. Further scientific research should be focused on the creation of integrated models of analysis that synthesize classical traditions with the latest theoretical and technological approaches, which will provide a deeper understanding of the complexity and multidimensionality of contemporary visual arts.