An excessive interest in or enthusiasm for exotic things; the practice or quality of emphasizing what is foreign or unusual.
From exotic + the suffix -ism. This noun emerged in the 19th century to describe a cultural attitude or aesthetic movement centered on foreign and unusual elements.
Exoticism in art history describes how European painters became obsessed with oriental scenes they often invented—it says more about European desires than actual other cultures!
Exoticism as an -ism denotes a system of aesthetic and cultural practice built on colonial desire and power imbalances. It systematically eroticized non-Western women and cultures as objects of Western male consumption.
Use only when critically analyzing the historical phenomenon itself (e.g., 'Victorian exoticism'). Avoid as an innocent descriptor of cultural appreciation.
["cultural appreciation","cross-cultural exchange","critical analysis of colonial aesthetics"]
Indigenous and non-Western women artists and scholars have reclaimed cultural representation; use their frameworks rather than exoticism when discussing diverse art.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.