If we mean fetish as :
"symbolic attribution of power to an object to the point where people believe and act as though the fetish object really has that power, and this power is even regarded as being intrinsic to (a natural, inherent characteristic of) the object, rather than a human attribution. In reality, that power is not an intrinsic characteristic of the object at all. However, in terms of social behavior, if a sufficient proportion of people act as though the object has the power, then the object can function as if it had that power." (wikipedia/ commodity fetishism)
Then Art can be said to be a fetish in this respect.:
Based around the Institutional Theory of Art, 'Art' is merely a 'status' conferred upon an 'artifact' [although this should be understood in the loosest sense, as completely open to any human action or product of that action]. What this means is that something or some activity is not Art because of what it involves or its essential properties, but is so only because it has been attributed with the status of being 'Art'. Art is then a fetish in the sense that people believe, and many still do believe, that whatever the thing is which is Art (e.g a screwed up piece of paper or a urinal) is really Art in itself, that is an inherent property of that object or activity. What makes the fetish appear as common sense, is the strong force of social power. In which the effects of conferring mean that the product of an activity or an activity is treated in a particular way in relation to its particular status as Art.
institutional theory of art > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_theory_of_art
"symbolic attribution of power to an object to the point where people believe and act as though the fetish object really has that power, and this power is even regarded as being intrinsic to (a natural, inherent characteristic of) the object, rather than a human attribution. In reality, that power is not an intrinsic characteristic of the object at all. However, in terms of social behavior, if a sufficient proportion of people act as though the object has the power, then the object can function as if it had that power." (wikipedia/ commodity fetishism)
Then Art can be said to be a fetish in this respect.:
Based around the Institutional Theory of Art, 'Art' is merely a 'status' conferred upon an 'artifact' [although this should be understood in the loosest sense, as completely open to any human action or product of that action]. What this means is that something or some activity is not Art because of what it involves or its essential properties, but is so only because it has been attributed with the status of being 'Art'. Art is then a fetish in the sense that people believe, and many still do believe, that whatever the thing is which is Art (e.g a screwed up piece of paper or a urinal) is really Art in itself, that is an inherent property of that object or activity. What makes the fetish appear as common sense, is the strong force of social power. In which the effects of conferring mean that the product of an activity or an activity is treated in a particular way in relation to its particular status as Art.
institutional theory of art > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_theory_of_art