Resumen

 The Square (2017, Palme d’Or at Cannes), a film by Swedish director Ruben Östlund, delivers a sharp critique of the individual’s condition in today’s consumer society. Set in Sweden, the plot is structured around a sarcastic reading of the peculiarities of the contemporary art system — starting with the utopian artistic project that lends its title to the film — and what is perceived as a certain hermeticism and frivolity still prevailing in the context in which this production circulates. The movie also stretches this approach into a broader commentary on ways of life in consumer society and, ultimately, on human nature. Östlund places special focus on topics such as ethics, morality, and rationality in light of the imperatives of mass communication in today’s society, which are extensive to the “art world”—as well as its consequences. Drawing on concepts from authors in art theory and the sociology of art, such as P. Bourdieu, N. Bourriaud and J. Rancière, this paper aims to delve deeper into aspects presented anecdotally in the film, particularly the dynamics of contemporary art circulation, its codes, and its supposedly direct connections to everyday life. The analysis emphasizes a critical perspective on the supposed potential of proposals within the trend known as “Relational Art,” illustrated by the artistic installation that gives the film its title, and its potential impracticality in the face of the tension between certain

premises of “political correctness” and the vicissitudes of human nature.