Art World Grapples With“Cringe” As A Social Affect

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The concept of“cringe,” a term describing vicarious embarrassment or sympathetic shame, is increasingly relevant in contemporary art and culture, according to a recent analysis. This phenomenon merges shame, an ancient emotion rooted in guilt and exposure, with sympathy, which emerged in 18th-century thought with Adam Smith's 1759 Theory of Moral Sentiments.

The article notes that a deep discomfort, exemplified by a viewer's reaction to Kristoffer Borgli's 2026 film The Drama, illustrates how“cringe” manifests. This reaction, involving physical contortions like drawing knees to the chest and hunching shoulders, highlights the body's desire to disappear in response to perceived social awkwardness. While the author typically engages with challenging, visceral artworks such as Lukas Moodysson's 2004 A Hole in My Heart, Judy Chicago's menstrual defiance, or Florentina Holzinger's Seaworld Venice at this year's Austrian Pavilion, The Drama provoked an unexpected level of distress.

Different languages offer unique terms for this sensation. In Dutch, it is“plaatsvervangende schaamte” (substitute shame). The French use“gêne par procuration” (delegated discomfort), and Germans say“Fremdschämen” (foreign shame). Swedish has“skämskudde,” referring to a“cringe cushion” used to hide one's face. Japanese features“mite irarenai,” meaning“unable to look at something distressing.” Chinese slang provides“gāngà'ái,” or“embarrassment cancer.”

Online,“cringe” serves as a ubiquitous signifier of derogation, particularly targeting vulnerable groups such as queer, neurodivergent, economically precarious, and socially isolated individuals. In 2022, Taylor Swift advised graduates to“learn to live alongside cringe,” yet this counsel may be perceived as tone-deaf given the disparate impact of online shaming.

Aesthetic theorist notes that cringe, like disgust and horror, is a strong sensation affecting the body. Its flinching recoil originates from the Old English“cringan,” meaning to yield or fall. While disgust affects the stomach and horror the nape of the neck, cringe primarily assails the muscles of the face, characterized by half-narrowed eyes and a grimace. The temporality of cringe is complex, encompassing both sudden wincing and prolonged humiliation.

The subjective nature of cringe can lead to ambiguity, as seen in artworks like Torbjørn Rødland's 2013–15 photograph This Is My Body, where the interpretation of a girl's interaction with adult hands remains uncertain. Similarly, Diego Marcon's 2021 video The Parents' Room, depicting a masked man singing about family murders and suicide, shifts between horror, absurdity, and earnestness, leaving viewers questioning whether to mock or mourn. Jordan Strafer's trilogy, including Loophole ( 2023 ), Decadence ( 2024 ), and Talk Show ( 2026 ), presented at this year's Whitney Biennial, also explores trauma and sexual assault through stylized performances, prompting questions about compassion. The playwright Aristophanes' perspective on love as recognizing oneself in another parallels how shared humiliation can evoke cringe, revealing political truths about identification.

Not all art that causes discomfort constitutes cringe. Damien Hirst's 1990 work A Thousand Years, featuring a vitrine with a severed cow's head and maggots, may induce disgust but lacks the interpersonal anxiety central to cringe. Cringe is inherently social, reflecting anxieties about rejection and how one is perceived by others.

Source: ARTnews

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