EIGHTY-SEVEN QUESTIONS ON ARTISTIC RESEARCH

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Eighty- seven Questions on Artistic Research

SARN :: Swiss Artistic Research Network


SARN — Swiss Artistic Research Network – is a network of competences that regroups researchers from the seven Swiss Arts Schools. Based on the idea of enriching the debates and practices of artistic research in Switzerland through exchanges, group activities (workshops), publications and symposia, SARN would also like to progressively incorporate points of view from the artistic community in general (artists, institutions, universities, public authorities and foundations in charge of supporting culture) in its reflexions in order to promote the specific contribution of artistic research and enlarge this community in Switzerland and internationally. This notebook will be launched at the Basel Conference ‘Economies of Aesthetics’ taking place from 18 – 20 June 2015 at the Academy of Art and Design of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (HGK FHNW) and co-organised with the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA). It focuses on the dynamics and epistemological impact of the question form: by asking personalities of the art world to share their questions regarding artistic research, SARN wishes to initiate a sustainable reflexion in the rich and booming field that is artistic research.

Anne-Catherine Sutermeister, President of SARN

Eighty- seven Questions on Artistic Research


Sabine Schaschl, Director Haus Konstruktiv Zurich

Nยบ 1

In which direction does research direct the artist?


Kathleen Buehler, Curator contemporary art, Kunstmuseum Bern

Nยบ 2

Are we looking for artistic solutions for a chaotic world? Or chaotic solutions for an artistic world?


Damian Christinger, Gallery owner, Zurich

Nยบ 3

Is artistic research the contemporary equivalent of alchemy?


Denise Ziegler, Artist, post-doctoral researcher Aalto University / Finland

Nยบ 4

Can we look forward to a day when artistic research does not have to justify its existence as a recognized form of research parallel to academic research?


Elena Filipovic, Director Kunsthalle Basel

Nº 5

Since we do not demand of artists that the ‘research’ they do follow the same rules / criteria or accountability as does that of a scientist, historian, or other researcher, should we use the same term — ‘research’ — at all?


Sabine Hagmann, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 6

Who is going to pay?


Mika Elo, Artist, Professor in Artistic Research University of the Arts Helsinki

Nยบ 7

Who comes after the artist?


Beat Brogle / Nicole Schuck, Artists, Berlin

Nยบ 8

Do the arts lose their own language when they try to be scientific?


Claudia Mareis, Designer, cultural scientist, Head ixdm HGK FHNW

Nยบ 9

Why such concern about methods?


Julie Harboe, Art historian, critic, curator, Zurich / Lucerne

Nยบ 10

Is artistic research becoming just another organizational category?


Philippe Sormani, Head Science Program Istituto Svizzero, Roma

Nº 11

If there is (or should be) such a thing as ‘artistic research’, can it (or should it) be ‘curated?’ If so, what would it mean — how, what for, and by whom?


Katharina Ammann, Head Department for Art History, SIK - ISEA, Zurich

Nยบ 12

Is the thinking process provoked by artistic research the main result of the research?


Lucie Kolb, Artist and currently SNSF Doc. Mobility Fellow

Nยบ 13

Do artists benefit from the label artistic research?


Johannes Bruder, Sociologist, post-doctoral researcher HGK FHNW

Nยบ 14

Can artistic research be the political consciousness of art?


Petra Lange-Berndt, Curator, art historian, University of London

Nยบ 15

Is capitalism illogical?


Christine Heil, Professor University of Duisburg - Essen

Nยบ 16

If several artistic research projects are in play, how do they play together?


Kathleen Buehler, Curator contemporary art, Kunstmuseum Bern

Nº 17

Is scientific research creative? Can it be artistic? What about curatorial research? Is this more scientific, theoretical, practical? Or if on artistic practice — in a way — artistic?


Daniel Brefin, Artist, researcher HGK FHNW

NÂş 18

Does the Earth’s rotation slow down when all people make a leap into the air towards the east at the same time?


Thierry Davila, Publisher MAMCO Geneva

Nยบ 19

What does it mean to make a discovery in art?


Beate Florenz, Professor for Art Education, art historian, researcher HGK FHNW

Nยบ 20

Could we describe artistic research as the strong little sister of philosophy of science?


Oliver W. Villiger, Art philosopher

Nº 21

The most pressing question to debate is whether the experience of art — as opposed to the scientific consciousness — may be a powerful reminder to admit its limitations. To what extent artistic research can establish its characteristic epistemic implications is not merely a question of art, but of the traditional scientific establishment and its inherent ontology.


Beat Brogle / Nicole Schuck, Artists, Berlin

Nยบ 22

Are scientists interested in collaborations with artists, or do they rather expect possibilities of creative illustration for scientific results?


Thierry Davila, Publisher MAMCO Geneva

Nยบ 23

In what way does artistic research coincide with scientific research?


Lucie Kolb, Artist and currently SNSF Doc. Mobility Fellow

Nยบ 24

Why does research by artists need to be artistic?


Philippe Sormani, Head Science Program Istituto Svizzero, Roma

Nº 25

Isn’t research already artistic in some sense, and the very expression ‘artistic research’ either redundant, dismissive, or both?


Damian Christinger, Gallery owner, Zurich

Nยบ 26

Can artistic research be done by non-artists?


el Kunsthalle Bas vic, Director Elena Filipo

Nยบ 27

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Walter Leimgruber, Head Seminar für Kulturwissenschaft und Europäische Ethnologie, University of Basel

Nº 28

If art is the triumph of creative uniqueness and science the triumph of standardized generalization, what then is artistic research? ThE triumph of unique generalization or the triumph of standardized creativity?


Diego Castro, Artist, critic, Berlin

Nยบ 29

Doctorates do not guarantee better chances for getting academic jobs. In earlier days PhD students could at least get jobs as assistants: this has widely been eliminated nowadays for there are not enough opportunities with regard to the number of applicants. The situation is precarious without perspectives in the artistic-scientific research field. Does a doctorate lead to a professional occupation at all, or is it merely a status symbol for privileged milieus?


Marianne Burki, Head of Visual Arts Pro Helvetia, Zurich

NÂş 30

Is society and its new elements closer to the arts than 20 years ago? Are the main triggers in artistic research natural sciences and technologies — or rather popular online culture?


Kathleen Buehler, Curator contemporary art, Kunstmuseum Bern

Nยบ 31

Why does every artist, who reads a book once in a while, think s/hE is doing research?


Samuel Herzog, Art Critic Neue ZĂźrcher Zeitung

NÂş 32

Does art have to be research today? Is art really more explorative now than 100 years ago, when nobody called it research? Or is this just another language regime? Or an ingratiation to scientific criteria? Or pure bumbledom?


Petra Lange-Berndt, Curator, art historian, University of London

Nยบ 33

Is anarchy the highest form of order (elisee Reclus)?


Marianne Halter, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 34

Whoever reads all those papers swallowed by the digital mouth of institutions?


Sabine Hagmann, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 35

Will I have to speak your language?


Christoph Keller, Journalist, author, Basel

Nยบ 36

Is my artwork speaking to me, and if so, in which language?


Pat Badani, Artist, Editor-in-Chief, Media-N Journal of the NMC / USA

Nยบ 37

Is my meaning wrong, or is it just my grammar?


Nicole Henning, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 38

Why do we have to talk in English when we talk about artistic research?


Regula ValĂŠrie Burri, Professor HafenCity University Hamburg

NÂş 39

What are adequate forums to debate and present artistic research? Do we need new arenas or should we rather focus on existing ones? Who is /should be addressed?


Marianne Burki, Head of Visual Arts Pro Helvetia, Zurich

Nยบ 40

Do we need more and more extensive knowledge to work in the art field?


Susanna Kumschick, Deputy Museum Director, curator, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

Nยบ 41

How can the unknown be discovered in the well known? Or: how could we look at the familiar from another perspective?


Kathleen Buehler, Curator contemporary art, Kunstmuseum Bern

NÂş 42

What happens if an artist does research on another artist? (As Bethan Huws did recently on Marcel Duchamp?) Is this artistic research, art history, art theory, art philosophy ‌?


doung anwar jahangeer, Artist, architect, Durban / South Africa

Nº 43

What’s next?


Damian Christinger, Gallery owner, Zurich

Nยบ 44

Is artistic research a sign of contemporaneity?


Regula ValĂŠrie Burri, Professor HafenCity University Hamburg

NÂş 45

How can knowledge produced in artistic research be related to and enrich scientific knowledge production (and vice versa) in a way that both art and science are equally involved and addressed?


DorothĂŠe Baumann, Artist, researcher, Geneva

NÂş 46

How can practice-based artistic research keep its autonomy as a form of aesthetic thinking in an institutional frame? Or in other words: How can academization be prevented?


Diego Castro, Artist, critic, Berlin

NÂş 47

Scientific jargon and methodology entangles with art in collaborations which causes art to derive from artistic form. What can art expect from science in content and form? Can artistic formats play a more important role in science? Aren’t the expectations of creativity and dislimitation rather a projection originating from creativity techniques?


Nicole Henning, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 48

Is artistic research a good auxiliary income?


Johannes Bruder, Sociologist, post-doctoral researcher HGK FHNW

Nยบ 49

Can artistic research be political?


Denise Ziegler, Artist, post-doctoral researcher Aalto University / Finland

Nยบ 50

Will artistic research be able to loosen up and find its way back to inventive perception?


Beat Brogle / Nicole Schuck, Artists, Berlin

NÂş 51

Do we need a third field in which neither art nor science are at home — where the two disciplines could develop something new together?


Marianne Burki, Head Visual Arts Pro Helvetia, Zurich

Nยบ 52

Can we function in the arts if we are not spending more time outside the arts (gaming, video-clipping, congresses for neurosciences and similar events)?


Daniel Brefin, Artist, researcher HGK FHNW

Nยบ 53

How does perception and thinking change if space is conceived as memory?


Christoph Keller, Journalist, author, Basel

Nยบ 54

How distant should I feel towards my work?


Petra Lange-Berndt, Curator, art historian, University of London

Nยบ 55

How can we be complicit with materials?


Pat Badani, Artist, Editor-in-Chief, Media-N Journal of the NMC / USA

Nยบ 56

Monopoly cash notes to credit my idea incubator?


Philippe Sormani, Head Science Program Istituto Svizzero, Roma

Nยบ 57

Any practical tips on how to turn my research results into valuable pieces of contemporary art?


Roderick Coover, Artist, lecturer Temple University / USA

Nº 58

As ever, it is very confusing for funding organizations to approach works that combine scholarship and creative methods. Many of my works and my students’ works are too creative for scholarly support and too scholarly for creative support. Each thinks the other should be doing the funding. Couldn’t this be improved by better definitions of what visual research and creative research projects are, from leading institutions in both scholarship and arts? And couldn’t co-funding be targeted across organizations to promote some awards that are explicitly hybrid (and / or support collective, interdisciplinary work)?


Susanna Kumschick, Deputy Museum Director, curator, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

Nยบ 59

Where are the limits of words and images? How could they complete or substitute each other?


Katharina Ammann, Head Department for Art History, SIK-ISEA, Zurich

Nº 60

How does artistic research relate to ‘scientific’ research in art?


Julie Harboe, Art historian, critic, curator, Zurich / Lucerne

Nยบ 61

Can we change the conversation about both art and research by unconditionally working for a return to open knowledge, praxis, poetics and the empirical?


Regula ValĂŠrie Burri, Professor HafenCity University Hamburg

NÂş 62

Do we need new interdisciplinary forms and formats to assess and critique the outcomes of artistic research? Who is entitled to evaluate artistic research projects and proposals?


Kathleen Buehler, Curator contemporary art, Kunstmuseum Bern

Nยบ 63

How much thinking and searching contributes to good art?


Marianne Burki, Head of Visual Arts Pro Helvetia, Zurich

NÂş 64

How can we find the expertise for evaluating projects that are not located in the traditional artistic disciplines — or in the codes of academic research?


Pat Badani, Artist, Editor-in-Chief, Media-N Journal of the NMC / USA

Nยบ 65

Do I need to knead my archive now?


Sabine Hagmann, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 66

Will I lose my practice?


Claudia Mareis, Designer, cultural scientist, Head ixdm HGK FHNW

Nº 67

What does the ‘end of practice’ mean?


Christoph Keller, Journalist, author, Basel

Nยบ 68

Should it [the artwork] be understood, or rather productively misunderstood?


Elena Filipovic, Director Kunsthalle Basel

Nº 69

Where is the line between artistic ‘research’ ( in what is often called an artist’s ‘research-based practice’ ) and simply, being an artist, period: which is to say, being someone who looks closely at, is inquisitive about, and ultimately reflects on history and the world around him or her?


Beat Brogle / Nicole, Schuck, Artists, Berlin

NÂş 70

What is the perspective of scientific understanding and what is the perspective of artistic understanding? Which are each other’s interests?


Diego Castro, Artist, critic, Berlin

Nยบ 71

The lack of a basic education in scientific methodology for PhD students may cause frustration and demotivation on both sides, for professors and for students. What could be done to ensure better preconditions?


Roderick Coover, Artist, lecturer Temple University / USA

NÂş 72

Current scholarly models based on monograph production and solo work are not particularly useful for many digital projects that require artists and scholars to work together. Arts and humanities institutions have a lot of trouble giving tenure credit and funding to multi-author work. The teaching schedule, in the US context, is also not so well set up for this, though some European systems are better. Wouldn’t laboratory approaches such as in science and short teaching modules, and teach-research-module periods, better suit the arts and humanities, rather than semesters and summers?


Sabine Schaschl, Director Haus Konstruktiv Zurich

Nยบ 73

Is a self-employed artist more responsible for his works than an employed researcher for his findings?


Lucie Kolb, Artist and currently SNSF Doc. Mobility Fellow

Nยบ 74

What kind of discourse is both, intrinsic to individual art research practices and comprehensible for the development of a larger research community?


Beat Brogle / Nicole Schuck, Artists, Berlin

Nยบ 75

How do different salaries influence the status of the involved researchers?


Roderick Coover, Artist, lecturer Temple University / USA

NÂş 76

Longer solo residencies for traditional artists and writers are also not necessarily the best model for funding creative research. Wouldn’t an intensive month with dedicated technical support, followed by solo time when artists and researchers develop the project; then a follow-up month to advance or finalize the work be much more economically viable and useful?


Marianne Halter, Artist, Zurich

Nยบ 77

Can artistic research be funny?


Mika Elo, Artist, Professor in Artistic Research University of the Arts Helsinki

Nยบ 78

If form is born of the formdesire of knowledge, what then could research be when made for the sake of the forming of the form only?


Julie Harboe, Art historian, critic, curator, Zurich / Lucerne

Nยบ 79

Does the term artistic research keep the ball in the court of the institutions?


Claudia Mareis, Designer, cultural scientist, Head ixdm HGK FHNW

Nยบ 80

Are there any secret agents around?


Christine Heil, Professor University Duisburg - Essen

Nยบ 81

Which role does the materiality of the record play in the research process?


Denise Ziegler, Artist, post-doctoral researcher Aalto University / Finland

Nยบ 82

Is the immaterial artwork the nucleus of artistic research?


Johannes Bruder, Sociologist, post-doctoral researcher HGK FHNW

Nยบ 83

In what way can the meaning of art be reconfigured in artistic research?


Christine Heil, Professor University Duisburg - Essen

Nยบ 84

Does knowledge originating from the collaboration of diverse artistic research projects have a specific form or specific qualities?


Kathleen Buehler, Curator contemporary art, Kunstmuseum Bern

Nยบ 85

When does questioning turn into research? When does searching turn into research?


Susanna Kumschick, Deputy Museum Director, curator, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur

Nยบ 86

How to practice the art of exactitude?


Mika Elo, Artist, Professor in Artistic Research, University of the Arts Helsinki

Nยบ 87

What does the artwork want?


Eighty-seven questions on artistic research After more than ten years of experience with research at art schools in Switzerland – and internationally since the beginning of the 1990s – scholarly statements and visions about the future development of artistic research have become well known. SARN’s aim is to investigate the impact of artistic research with a focus on non-school protagonists in Switzerland and abroad – by collecting questions. In a first step, and inspired by the book by artists Fischli/Weiss, Findet mich das Glück?, we looked for questions – straightforward, multi-layered, enigmatic, inspiring – presenting the personal experiences of artists, curators, researchers, and observers of the field or representatives of a funding organisation. The present notebook includes 87 multi-faceted questions and is the starting point of a long-term project dealing with the impact or ‘added value’ of artistic research in society. We invite you to step into the flow of questions in order to enable a deepened reflection. By accepting the current ambivalent situation in which there might be no (simple) answers, we would like to keep the discussion going. In a second step, after the conference, SARN will continue the project by including various points-of-view. The space left in the notebook is provided for you to sketch your thoughts. You are very welcome to send further questions, remarks and answers to SARN under the following address: camille.dumond@hesge.ch. Get inspired!

Flavia Caviezel & Markus Schwander, Members of the SARN board, June 2015


Flavia Caviezel – Ethnologist/vidéaste, senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Experimental Design and Media Cultures, Academy of Art and Design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. Markus Schwander – Artist, senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Art and Design Education, Academy of Art and Design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. Anne-Catherine Sutermeister – Head of research and lecturer at HEAD – University of Art and Design Geneva at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland HES SO, and consultant in cultural policies.

We would like to thank all members of the SARN board, the contributors of the questions for the Notebook and the HGK FHNW for its financial support.

Published by SARN – Swiss Artistic Research Network, www.sarn.ch Editors: Flavia Caviezel, Markus Schwander Coordinator: Camille Dumond Correcting/Proofreading: Matthew Burbidge Design: Simon Mader, Basel Font: Dinamo-Grow (Fabian Harb & Johannes Breyer, dinamo.us) Cover colour: PANTONE 206 U Print: Grafisches Zentrum, Bürgerspital Basel Published in Basel, Switzerland 2015 ISBN: 78-3-9524411-3-8 © 2015 SARN — Swiss Artistic Research Network, and the authors



www.sarn.ch


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