Elena BALAKINA

The article considers the uncertainty of the status of art in the contemporary culture, which caused its current crisis. Basis of the serch for the essence of art in the culture system is formulated by the author of the article "Law on the beginning", clarifying the role of the beginning, the origins of the process of becoming self-developing highly complex systems. Initial magic essence of art, aimed at a qualitative change in the world and man, is regarded as one of the possible ways to restore the original holistic emotional and logical nature of art in the contemporary culture.

Keywords: art phenomenon in the culture system, the crisis of culture and art, "the law on the beginning", the function of art, synergistic and humanitarian approaches to the study of art, the problem of "co-existence" with art in the practice of modern culture.