Recently there was the “European Song Contest” again, according to the headlines – and I only read headlines about these, just as I don’t like America/Britain’s “got talent”, or Germany’s next top whatever.
There have been numerous articles, dissertations, and books about the topic, even those who *do* “judge” about such “contests” write that in the end, it’s all personal taste. See or search for instance the online photographer, and you’ll come up with articles/blog posts like the ones from Ctein, or from Michael Johnston. Still, and repeatedly, our (in this case German speaking) forae are full of this, like here, or here. Or in photography, this.
I agree in that there were numerous great, relevant, or even important pictures, and maybe the same can be said about music or any other art. But who could say which are the best? Or worst? Or most/least “important”? Art itself defies any such criteria in my opinion. In the end such contests are nothing but exploitation, like the second episode of the first season of “Black Mirror” with the title “Fifteen Million Merits” showed us.
Think about it. There can be winners in sports if you absolutely care for the fastest runner or such things (and even then, there might be one who runs the 100 meters in five seconds, but you’ll never know her/him). But winners in art? Come on… and forget about it, please. Or tell me why a Picasso would be better than a van Gogh. Or the Beatles vs. Mozart. See?
Thanks.