For at least 20 years we have now been discussing what artistic research and development (R&D) might be, and how much or how little it may resemble traditional research. Many conferences with titles like “What is artistic R&D?” have been held, often leaving the impression of not getting much closer to an answer. Yet all along artists from all aesthetic fields have been engaged in projects that might possibly be called nothing but examples of artistic research or development.
The aim of the conference Sensuous Knowledge: Creating a Tradition is not that we should once more discuss what artistic R&D is, but that we should discuss examples of projects of various kinds – and hopefully also yours! But you are welcome as a participant in the conference even if you do not want to present a project or read a paper.
Sensuous Knowledge: Creating a Tradition is planned as the first in a row of yearly conferences, arranged by Bergen National Academy of the Arts – Kunsthøgskolen i Bergen (KHiB) – with the purpose of contributing to the creation of a genuine tradition of artistic R&D. The conferences will make use of the fact that we can now point to many completed R&D projects, while even more are going on at the moment. Such real projects will be presented and discussed already during this first conference, not primarily to evaluate their individual quality, but to make us all aware of their character and the ontological, epistemological and methodical – and artistic – problems to which they give rise. In this way the conference will take a first step towards developing a language in which we can discuss such projects in a meaningful way, and help us to distinguish between what is essential or of minor importance, forceful or bland, good or less good in this field. It is to be expected that the presentation of examples will show how varied the field is, and give rise to the question whether it is at all possible to develop just one common language for this multifariousness.
The question about the boundaries of artistic R&D, and the way it differs from traditional research within the Humanities (e.g. in the history of art) or from traditional technical development (e.g. within programming), will no doubt also be raised. And since some institutions of education in the arts – Bergen National Academy of the Arts being one of them – also teach design, the relationship between artistic R&D and research and development in connection with design may be expected to become part of the agenda.
To highlight the activity in which we are engaged, and to help us reflect on it, this first conference will also place artistic R&D in an historical and social context. On the one hand the conference will be concerned with the way in which other, but related professional traditions have been established, not least within the humanities and the social sciences. And on the other hand the conference will look upon ourselves and our actual situation and ask which traits in society and its institutions create the trend towards professionalization and academization that characterizes the aesthetic field today, and the consequences this may have for artistic creativity, teaching and R&D.
Publications on the central issues should be one of the results of the conferences.
The conference Sensuous Knowledge: Creating a Tradition will aim for international participants and English will be the main language. It will consist of three types of activities: The keynote speeches will focus on the philosophical, the historic and the social framework of artistic R&D. Some main examples of artistic R&D projects will be presented, commented on and discussed in plenary sessions. And we will have smaller group meetings where participants make presentations of their own work for comments and discussions.
The success of the conference depends to a large degree on the participants’ involvement in the group discussions and in their willingness to present projects – both projects that are finished or are ongoing, and projects that so far exist only as ideas and sketches. Each project should be given a 20-minutes oral presentation (preferably visualized by pictures, films, sketches, objects etc.) in the group, but for the organizers (KHiB) to prepare commentary and discussion it has to be presented in writing (preferably with illustrations), i.e. as a paper (5-15 pages), mailed to us no later than 1 October 2004.
Conference initiatives:
Søren Kjørup
Adjunct professor and R & D counceller at Bergen National Academy of the Arts, professor at the Roskilde University Centre RUC
Nina Malterud
President of Bergen National Academy of the Arts
