joint presence of beholders 1. Does "joint" in the following quote refer to "the presence of several beholders together in front of the artwork (joint referring to beholders)" or "the participation of beholders in the artwork (joint referring to beholders and the artwork)"? 2. What does "be this work effective or symbolic" mean? It sounds a weird structure. Does it mean "participating in the artwork effectively or symbolically"? Context: What nowadays forms the foundation of artistic experience is the joint presence of beholders in front of the work, be this work effective or symbolic. (Bourriaud)