18

ChaRaCTeRisTiCs oF

Visual and peRFoRming

aRTs

Annette Arlander

in the following i am mainly discussing such research undertaken by artists, where
artworks or artistic practices are part of the research, and which is conducted as
research, not as art practice as such. The notion of what constitutes art (inquiry,
skill, expression, originality, critical comment, decoration, entertainment, etc.) has an
impact on other questions such as the role of experimentation (originality, novelty,
innovation, interpretation), the characteristics of the artwork (unique object, prototype,
ongoing practice, event, the artist as the artwork, etc.), the position of the artist (as
auteur, producer, provider of services, first spectator, performer, etc.) and the amount
of collaboration (with co- artists, spectators, participants, etc.) and all these influence
research. however, the notion of art is treated by writers in the section focusing on
foundations.
different art forms create different problems for artists starting with research,
depending on what dimension of research seems especially alien to ordinary art practice
within that field. is verbal articulation widely used or not? is documentation part of the
practice? Fine art is discussed extensively after the fact, while stage performances often
involve discussions during the making. performance art is often carefully documented
while theatre and dance performances are haphazardly recorded, or then developed
into separate genres like radio plays or screen dance. differences between art forms are
reflected in the choice of research problems. What kinds of issues are considered relevant
to explore, or, depending on the approach of the artist- researcher, what questions are
conventionalized and traditionally overlooked within the field, and thus important to
focus on? i started my own research on performance space (arlander 1995) which was
considered a rather marginal question within theatre research in Finland at the time.
Traditional issues of debate, historical models, conventional modes of discussing work,
inherited value systems and, last but not least, differing modes of production within
each art field influence research more than the formal characteristics and concerns of
the art forms as such.
ideas of what is the main work and what is a side issue differ greatly between various
areas of visual art, music, film, dance, theatre, circus, performance art and live art