Friedrich Schlegel’s concept of irony emphasises self-awareness and self-reflexivity, allowing the work of art to create and question its own rules. Much like Kant’s transcendental knowledge, Schlegel’s formulation of art generates its own poetical rules from within, underscoring an autonomous quality.

Asko Nivala: “Romantic Irony: Transcendental Reflection of Artistic Form”, an invited presentation at Romantic Irony symposium. The University of the Arts, Helsinki, Finland, 12 December 2023.