Seminar at KTH/TMH

Nov 25 2011

Gerhard Eckel held a seminar at KTH/TMH entitled The Challenge of Artistic Research.

Abstract: John Dewey sees in the development of the "idea of art as a conscious idea" the greatest intellectual achievement in the history of humanity (Art as Experience, p. 26). Considering art as a particular way of thinking and knowing, as a way of searching for knowledge and understanding, is at the heart of the project of artistic research today, when "the term 'artistic research' has become ubiquitous" (Michael Schwab, editorial of the inaugural issue of the Journal for Artistic Research). The challenges of this project are numerous and concern all kinds of researchers inside and outside of academia. In this seminar I will discuss artistic research as offering interesting alternatives to more established forms of generating knowledge, potentially challenging our very understanding of research. Based on various examples of artistic research, I will attempt to demonstrate its particularities but also its embeddedness in more traditional forms of inquiry. Besides stimulating interest in the idea of artistic research, I am aiming at creating mutual understanding and trust between researching artists and other researchers – an important prerequisite for the idea of artistic research to unfold its potential.

Photomontage: G. Eckel.