The portion of art devoted to representations not attached to aesthetic beauty before the 20th century is very small (at least, what i've been exposed to). I'm not all that familiar with styles of visual art, so i have to stick with talking aobut music.

Most particularly, World War II led music into unexlored territory, trying subject matters such as deviancy and insanity like never before. Understandably, the musical stylings of Alban Berg and many other composers from the mid-20th century is recognized and appreciated more than it is performed or repeated.

Art and entertainment always, to some extent, reflects the society in which it was produced, sometimes depicting actual life and sometimes aspirations for what life could be.

That said, i'm not sure if there may be some distinction to draw between art and entertainment. The furniture display you describe clearly has entertainment value, but i'm not sure what it reflects, other than a little fun. So maybe my definition needs work. Either way, it sounds like it was done by somebody who read How to Be Funny.

Back to the expansion of Cage's piece, it strikes me as more of a sociological experiment than an artistic performance. To undergo such a prolonged task, an inherent belief that the desire to continue will be passed down to future generations. I'm sure that, something like the families who've spent decades on the waiting list for Green Bay Packers season tickets, some kid will (assuming anyone cares about it after those first 3 notes) get excited because he'll get to play a note of it, like his mom did may years before.

Mi "The things we humans get ourselves excited over." ke