CharaCteristiCs of visuaL and Performing artsand explicate the route to that result. in fact, artistic research can be practice- based,
when artistic practice is more important than a specific artwork, or design-oriented,
when a specific object or artwork is produced. But this division is not strict, since many
forms of design (stage design, costume design, light design, sound design, etc.) are
included in performing arts.
practice- based and art- based research frequently has a practical, critical or
emancipatory knowledge interest, whereas artistic research seems to find contact
points with philosophical research, sharing its speculative freedom. nevertheless,
research involving artworks or artistic practice inevitably has an empirical dimension
(nevanlinna 2002). The motivation for artistic research is rarely mere knowledge
production as such. most artists turn to research either because they disapprove of
existing artistic practice, they have a vision or dream or they want to experiment and
play.^5
The role of experimentation and innovation in ordinary practice is different in
contemporary visual art and various forms of performing arts. The role of experimentation
varies on a wide scale, from classical ballet – where innovation has limited importance
- through collective improvised forms like jazz music or contact improvisation in dance
- to industrial design, where innovation can be the main raison d’être of the work.
Within contemporary visual arts experimentation and critical questioning are included
in the common understanding of art practice itself.
art is a creative and intellectual endeavour that involves artists and other
arts practitioners in a reflexive process where the nature and function of art is
questioned and challenged through the production of new art.
(elia 2006a)not all performing artists would agree with this. Traditionally performers
(actors, dancers, musicians) have concentrated on acquiring mastery in specific
conventionalized skills and sensitivity in applying them in live situations. Though
innovation and improvisation is valued in contemporary forms, experimentation
or questioning would not be included in the general definition of the practice. The
playfulness of some performing arts comes close to experimentation, but often seems to
suggest untrustworthiness in the eyes of scholars. seducing and confusing performances,
mixing illusion and reality, fiction and fact, are regarded as the very antithesis of a
scientific demonstration. This difference in relationship to exploration and inquiry has
implications for the status of research within the art community, and for the change
in attitude and approach the artist researcher has to undergo when starting a research
project.
Research is considered distant to ordinary practice in many forms of theatre, dance
and film. Though most choreographers and directors use experimentation extensively,
and some form of background research is used by many film directors, the main focus
is on expression and on reception. When thinking of research the first impulse for
theatre artists is often some kind of reception research, since their main interest is in
providing an experience for the spectators. developing research processes based on
artistic practices without including the spectators would be hard. To understand that
a large part of the preparation for a production involves activities resembling research