Visionary art and the limits of social constructivism

Visionary art, inspired by the shift in perspective towards a (hyper)spatial horizon, represents a departure from the postmodern ethos. Rather than simply remixing established cultural signifiers, these images function as portals to divergent ontological realms and non-human visual paradigms. Focusing on the agency of non-human entities and dimensions, this paper proposes a new methodology for analyzing visionary images, particularly those emerging from N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) use and Artificial Intelligence (AI) generation. By exploring spatial dynamics, mediated interfaces, and manifest presence, this framework shifts the analytical focus from semiotics and representation to the topology of non-human spaces. Ultimately, the paper examines how the constellation of agency between humans and non-humans is changing, advocating for visual studies to accommodate these new epistemics and take such images seriously.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Visual Studies
Published
2026-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586x.2026.2697924
Primary Topic
Visual Culture and Art Theory
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Visionary art and the limits of social constructivism

Orsolya Bajusz
Visual Studies
Visual Culture and Art Theory
article

Visionary art and the limits of social constructivism

Orsolya Bajusz
article en

Abstract

Visionary art, inspired by the shift in perspective towards a (hyper)spatial horizon, represents a departure from the postmodern ethos. Rather than simply remixing established cultural signifiers, these images function as portals to divergent ontological realms and non-human visual paradigms. Focusing on the agency of non-human entities and dimensions, this paper proposes a new methodology for analyzing visionary images, particularly those emerging from N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) use and Artificial Intelligence (AI) generation. By exploring spatial dynamics, mediated interfaces, and manifest presence, this framework shifts the analytical focus from semiotics and representation to the topology of non-human spaces. Ultimately, the paper examines how the constellation of agency between humans and non-humans is changing, advocating for visual studies to accommodate these new epistemics and take such images seriously.

Visual Studies
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Visual Culture and Art Theory
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