Art, after the modern era, has undergone significant transformations, including a shift in the audience’s role from passive consumer to active participant in the creation and interpretation of artworks. The connection between the artist and the audience is regarded as one of the most crucial factors contributing to the success of art. In Iranian society, the artist and the audience have historically maintained a deep and dynamic relationship. Many Iranian artworks have emerged from the cultural and social foundations of Iranian society, reflecting this strong connection. In Isfahan, as one of the main centers for artistic production and creation, local culture has played a significant role in shaping artistic works. This highlights the social nature of art in the city and the close relationship between artists and their audiences.
However, this bond appears to be weakening, and a rupture in the interaction between artists and audiences is emerging-one that may, in the long term, negatively impact both the connection between art and socio-cultural life and the quality of artistic production.
Given that a work of art acquires meaning through interaction with its audience-and that artists are aware of this dynamic-and considering that interactive art has not yet received sufficient scholarly attention, this study aims to explore how visual artists in the city of Isfahan understand and interpret their interactions with audiences. Adopting an interpretive approach and an insider perspective, the study investigates the subjective meanings held by visual artists in Isfahan to develop a data-grounded model of their perceptions and interpretations.
This research was conducted using a qualitative approach, specifically grounded theory (systematic version). The study sample was drawn from visual artists and experts in the field of visual arts in Isfahan. A total of 14 participants were selected through purposive-theoretical sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. For data analysis, the three stages of systematic grounded theory-open, axial, and selective coding-were employed. To ensure credibility and scientific validation of the findings, common validation techniques in grounded theory, such as member checking, analytical comparisons, and external auditing, were utilized.
The findings suggest that the causal conditions affecting artist-audience interaction include virtualization, multilayered imbalance, audience detachment by the artist, and the social authority of the artist. Contextual conditions include institutional disorientation and the erosion of economic foundations. Ideological conflicts and audience fluidity were identified as intervening factors. Strategies proposed for improving interaction between artists and audiences include institutional reform, restructuring the art marketing system, digital transformation of art, and rethinking prevailing thought systems. The outcomes of these strategies include strengthening artistic authority, enhancing financial resources for art, and improving artistic quality. These elements are organized around a central theme: the “Digital Turn and the Fluidity of Interaction Meaning.”
It can thus be concluded that, contrary to theories that view the audience as passive, artist-audience interaction is neither one-sided nor passive. In this relationship, the audience plays an active, participatory, and creative role in interpreting the artistic message. The artist does not impose meaning on the audience; rather, they present it, and the audience’s interpretation, in turn, influences the artist’s semantic and creative system, leading to its reconstruction. Artistic production is shaped by the audience’s reading and interpretation. This dynamic has become even more prominent in the digital age, where the digitization of lived spaces intensifies such reciprocal interactions. Furthermore, the cultural, political, economic, and social contexts continue to play a significant role in shaping these interactions, even in digital and virtual environments-albeit transformed by the digitalization of actions and structures. The artist-audience relationship in the digital realm still operates within the broader cultural-social and politico-economic frameworks of Iranian society.