The Poetics of Art - on Artistic Research

What is Artistic Research?

Artistic research is understood as investigations and experiments made through art, in order to explore and expand the possibilities of art. It is distinct from genuine artistic activity in not necessarily leading to a work of art, and in producing a public accessible reflection on the process.

Similarly, it distinguishes itself from traditional scientific research by not having its product of knowledge subjected to demands like reproducibility, testability and falsifiability.

Although the past two decades have seen artistic research becoming more refined and implemented in institutions, policies and education law, it is still a concept in need of a clear definition and raising very challenging historical, philosophical and scientific questions. At the same time, it is a concept involving a series of practical questions and challenges both for the artists working with Artistic Research and for their housing institutions. Questions like: How, and to what extent should the researchers make their work an object of inquiry and critical reflection? What are the consequences for art? And for education and research?

The goal of The Poetics of Art

Artistic Research is a concept inviting to debates on research and education policy in relation to the harmonization of the educational system in the wake of the Bologna process, and debates about the academisation of the artistic educations, and the increased demand of accountable documentation, assessment and audit. The Poetics of Art is aware of this thematic, but would rather frame the concept of artistic research slightly differently and see it as a part of a continuing process of dynamic negotiation of the borders between art and science, a process having deep historical roots. Thevery concept of artistic research may be new, but seen as an example of exchange between two areas of insightful knowledge the phenomenon and practice of artistic research has followed art and science intermittently as a borderline figure with varying degrees of visibility throughout the history of art and science.

The analytical approach in The Poetics of Art is to combine two discussions, normally kept separated in different disciplines, i.e., a discussion of self-reflectivity in art and poetics, and a discussion of the premises and limitations of the notion of research. By taking departure in the tradition of self-reflection within art, the project aims at intervening – on art’s own premises – into the discussion of research and its application to art. Rather than transferring a concept from one field to another (from research to art) The Poetics of Art offers an exploration and comparison of the distinctive traditions for reflection within each field. The purpose is to generate a more nuanced understanding of reflection: a concept of reflection to match the ambitions of Artistic Research as an autonomous kind of knowledge production within the world of art.

Duration of the project: January 2014 - December 2016

Participants and partners

The project was carried out by PhD Anne Gry Haugland at Center for the Philosophy of Nature and Science Studies in close collaboration with The Royal Danish Academy of Music. The project is funded through an individual postdoctoral fellowship from The Danish Council for Independent Research.