formalismnoun [ U ]
/ˈfɔː.məl.ɪ.zəm//ˈfɔːr.məl.ɪ.zəm/specializedan artistic or literary style that is more concerned with form (= rules about the arrangement of different elements) than with expressing feelings or meaning:
Some artists had been attracted to formalism and minimalism because of its supposed neutrality.