# The Philosophy of Touch

>  TACTUS AND RETRACTUS

**Published by:** [Attila Szántó](https://paragraph.com/@attilaszanto/)
**Published on:** 2025-12-04
**Categories:** art theory, ontology, presence, philosophy of art, aesthetics, tactus, retractus, contemporary thought, sophia arden
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@attilaszanto/the-philosophy-of-touch

## Content

A Study by Attila István Szántó Curatorial Introduction by Curator Retractus Some works of art want to be interpreted. Others simply want to exist. The Philosophy of Touch belongs to the second category. It does not try to explain art, nor does it offer theory in the traditional sense. Instead, it investigates the subtle threshold where a work either enters into relation with another person — or withdraws before that moment of contact. This study introduces two fundamental modes of presence: tactus, the opening of the artwork, and retractus, its deliberate withdrawal. Neither is superior to the other. They are two movements of the same existential rhythm — the breathing of the artwork itself. The text is freely accessible because presence cannot be owned. It can only be witnessed. Read the full study (PDF) Arweave permanent archive: https://arweave.net/RP0V8QgI7T8nrKYjhWZZ1phTBMqvXUSyr7-wwj7bEgk Why it is free This work is offered without cost because an inquiry into presence should not stand behind a barrier. A text about tactus and retractus must remain open to anyone who can sense its resonance. The value lies not in the transaction, but in the moment — if it happens — when the reader recognizes something shifting within themselves.

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