Rhizomatic structures and marginal aesthetics in art clusters

Abstract

This article examined marginalised art clusters as specific urban formations that emerge within semi-abandoned or transformed industrial spaces outside institutional planning frameworks. This study aimed to conceptualise such art clusters as rhizomatic structures in the sense of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, and to interpret their aesthetic significance through the spatial and sensory experience articulated by Gaston Bachelard. The methodological framework was based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines urban analysis, philosophy of space, cultural studies, and the study of artistic practices, with particular attention to street art and temporary interventions. The analysis used the concepts of rhizome, deterritorialisation, and the poetics of space, which make it possible to interpret art clusters as non-linear network formations and to assess their aesthetic potential. The findings indicated that marginalised art clusters are not the result of deliberate design but emerge as dynamic, rhizomatic structures shaped by multiple creative practices, spontaneous interactions, and artistic interventions within semi-abandoned spaces. Street art, performative actions, and temporary installations function as semiotic markers that transform neglected environments into aesthetically significant spaces with poetic and sensory dimensions. The scientific novelty of the study lied in integrating the concept of the rhizome with the analysis of marginal art clusters as aesthetic formations in post-industrial spaces. This approach allowed them to be understood not only as social or cultural phenomena but also as forms of experience and becoming within the urban environment. The practical significance of the research lies in its potential application to the reconsideration of approaches to the revitalisation of neglected territories and the development of non-institutional artistic practices