Ephemeral

We explain what something ephemeral is, what connotations it has and what the origin of the term is. Also, what is ephemeral art.

ephemeral
In a short time, something ephemeral always disappears or transforms into something else.

What is something ephemeral?

something ephemeral is something that has a short duration whether it is a sensation, a way of life, a reality phenomenon or any other reference. The ephemeral is transitory, fleeting, impermanent, that is, if we wait long enough, something ephemeral will always disappear or transform into something else.

The words ephemeral or ephemera come from Byzantine Greek ephemerals (union of epi“around”, and hemera“day”), a word that can be translated as “of a single day” or “about a single day,” and that enters the Latin language through medical literature, as a way of calling passing fevers. , as the Greek doctor Hippocrates (5th century BC) called them in ancient times.

Ephemerality has a certain negative connotation in our imagination, given that we are prone to value things that last. It is common for the term to be used to name publications that lose value after being read or over the course of the day, such as newspapers, and other types of disposable or low-value materials. Also It is used for those things that are changing, and therefore not very predictable and unreliable.

But, at the same time, The ephemerality of things is what allows us to appreciate them better: the awareness of death, philosophers explain, is what allows us to perceive and enjoy our existence, knowing that it will not be forever. Deep down, we ourselves are ephemeral, and knowing this allows us not only to appreciate beauty, but also to plan for an important future in which we will not be there in person, but others will be.

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Also: Existence

ephemeral art

ephemeral art
Ephemeral art can use short-lived materials, such as snow.

It is known as “ephemeral art” to certain artistic practices designed to generate a momentary, non-lasting aesthetic effect and that once they occur, they disappear forever. This means that ephemeral art does not leave a lasting work unless it is filmed or photographed, or its work loses validity or validity, and therefore is no longer considered as such.

The following can be considered forms of ephemeral art: performance, installation, happening, flashmob, graffiti, fashion, hairdressing, perfumery, gastronomy, pyrotechnics and body art (body art).

Continue with: Indelible

References

  • “Ephemeral” on Wikipedia.
  • “Ephemeral art” on Wikipedia.
  • “Efímero, ra” in the Dictionary of the Language of the Royal Spanish Academy.
  • “The ephemeral and the permanent, or the problem of temporal scale in geography” by Horacio Capel in the Digital Library of the National University of Cuyo (Argentina).