Die Kunst der Kunst

Art is that thing having to do only with its­elf – the pro­duct of a suc­cessful attempt to make a work of art. Unfort­u­na­te­ly, the­re are no examp­les of art, nor good reasons to think that it will ever exist. (Ever­y­thing that has been made has been made with a pur­po­se, ever­y­thing with an end that exists out­side that thing, i.e., ›I want to sell this‹, or ›I want this to make me famous and loved‹, or ›I want this to make me who­le‹, or worse, ›I want this to make others who­le‹.) And yet we con­ti­nue to wri­te, paint, sculpt, and com­po­se. Is this foo­lish of us?
(Jona­than Safran Foer – Ever­y­thing is Illuminated)