All in all a pretty good story

11396114
The whole time I was reading that chapter, I was thinking about how funny White Rabbit in Snow is (literally a blank canvas) and that Twilight probably should have brought out music more befitting of a DJ: 80 to 120 BPM (DJing is no joke when you learn what makes a good DJ)

11396940
The thing about abstract art is that it is impossible to know the interpretation of the artist unless explicitly told so. It's more about the interpretation of the audience. I feel art's true beauty lies within the interpretation of the audience and not within the intent of the author/artist. The best response I have for people who say "that's not what that means" is "how do you know what it means to me"

Is teal green or blue? Is the cup half full or half empty?

Even the most detailed photograph can be up for different interpretation

tl:dr art is subjective, not objective

11397385
Call it compensatory damages, throw in some subtle mind control, and convince them that the only thing they've ever wanted to do was give back to society. Is it ethical and moral? Not remotely. You should absolutely be hearing alarm bells as an outside observer.

11396979
Normally, I would agree, but there is an important caveat. Art, like a statement, has an intended meaning. While the audience is free to interpret whatever they want to, whether through forcing their own meaning to match the piece or just letting it speak to them, the artist does have full rights to say, "This is what I meant." All the same, someone can say something to you, and if what you hear is not what they say, it is the speaker who will have to clarify.

Actually, I had something like this in a different story, in which Celestia said she wanted a large guard escort to pick up Fluttershy and the weird creature she'd found and bring them to the castle, and it was misinterpreted as Fluttershy and her creature need to be secured by a large force and locked away in the dungeon.

What is said and what is heard are sometimes different. What an artist means with their painting may be different from how a viewer perceives it. In this, you are absolutely correct. But it is important to know the intent, as that is where understanding lies.

it was ok