Contemporary Art Practice Research Articles

The Position of Contemporary Hybrid Art Practices in Shaping Ethical Response to AI Vladan Joler and Kate Crawford – Case Study

The thesis of this paper rests on the premise that the role of contemporary hybrid art practices, employing technology as a means of expression, has extended to active engagement in the complexities of societal conflicts and shaping philosophical dialogue, which is evident in its subversive endeavors, that have become the points of intersection between power dynamics, technology, and ethics. Namely, the position of art has become the pragmatic and utilitarian one, and art aims at confronting society with the antagonisms of the mechanisms of power and the consequences of high technology development. With a view to support the thesis of this essay, I will analyze Vladan Joler's and Kate Crawford's art project “Anatomy of an AI System”. The aim of this essay is to show that the role of hybrid art is reflected in its contribution to the society, by helping it to anticipate and develop policies and systems of rules with a view to regulate behavior in borderline situations of advanced technology and ethics. Research methods applied in this paper are analysis, synthesis, observation, generalization, and comparative text analysis.

Spectral ruins: Empathy with inanimate material movements

Simulations are interactive, lively models of material events. Working with simulations that require the consideration of mass, gravity, and texture becomes an embodied experience. Much like video games, simulations imitate the physics of the material world and, as such, engage us corporeally. This dynamic between interactive model and user is particularly generative when the content of a simulation is inanimate, or inorganic materials. Digital models of static matter in motion offer the user a unique opportunity to relate to things that are typically understood as inert or nonliving. While empathy with the nonliving is a complex relationship to authentically construct, the ecological implications of this interaction are significant. This paper uses critical tools from video game studies and media theory to study simulations in experimental architecture and contemporary fine art practice. The essay posits a thesis informed by ecocriticism that users can build a tactile, bodily understanding of material behaviors by designing and interacting with tools built into animation, gaming, and visual coding platforms. A series of case-studies in art and design are examined with particular emphasis on their use of digital physics engines and code libraries that imitate natural behaviors.

The Ancient Tantric in Balinese Contemporary Art

In recent years, artists from various cultures have increasingly drawn on the spiritual and philosophical principles of ancient tantra. This article explores the influence of ancient tantric traditions on contemporary Balinese arts. It employed an innovative art-based research methodology utilizing qualitative, interpretive, and practice-based research methods. These included observation, interviews, and document analysis while integrating theoretical frameworks, symbolic perspectives, and theo-aesthetic considerations. The research reveals how artists transform and reinterpret tantric themes in their work, highlighting the complex relationship between modern expressions and ancient inspirations. Balinese art, as the study shows, achieves beauty by blending opposites, such as masculine and feminine qualities, through the concept of lanang-wadon. By examining this topic, the research provides valuable insights into the evolving relationship between spirituality, creativity, and cultural exchange in Bali and the interconnected world. This study underscores the dynamic interplay between ancient traditions and contemporary artistic practices, showcasing a unique fusion that enriches both the art and its cultural context.

Boundary obsessions

Boundaries in contemporary art practice and education contexts are often conceived as distinctions between disciplines, inscribed through material conventions and discursive traditions. In art, a field that continually touts trans-disciplinarity and post-medium approaches, it is considered productive to occupy multiple disciplinary positions and effectively enlarge or re-draw the territory of possible creative action. This obsession with disciplinary limits reveals a language of spatial metaphors (fields, frontiers and domains) and breaching actions (breaking boundaries, expansion). In this article we highlight how the language of disciplinarity today is spatialized, and premised on notions of imperialist territoriality which are at odds with efforts to decolonize art. We speculate on other ways to approach disciplinarity without theorizing boundaries and their rupture, and re-consider discipline through: ecologies of teaching and learning, an imaginative burrowing under the surface, and working with discipline as an agential material.

Cultural Therapy and Concern for the Archive. The Case of Documentary Video Archives by Tomáš Rafa

In this paper, the author explores current perspectives on contemporary art projects through the concept of the archive. By applying a theoretical framework termed “concern for the archive”, the author aims to elucidate complex relationships between the archive as a medium and the situated practices of contemporary art. The paper examines contemporary art as a form of temporary memory storage, particularly through the analysis of Tomáš Rafa’s documentary films. It addresses two key questions: What specific aspects of concern for the archive can be identified in political or activist contemporary art? How does concern for the archive differ from archival care, and why is this distinction important? In the first section, the author discusses the “zones of contact” in political activist art, highlighting the formation of dialogical structures and distinguishing them from scientific research and purely documentary creation. The second section traces the layers of artistic training in Grzegorz Kowalski's renowned studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where the author gained experience in organizing and documenting collective workshops. This part reveals the specifics of documentary video creation with its activist and archival overlaps. In the final sections, the author outlines a theoretical framework for interpreting documentary video pieces in relation to the concepts of archive, cultural trauma, and cultural therapy.

“The Sun Doesn’t Shine Like in ’85”

Abstract The legacy of Yugoslav music re-emerged in Serbia and in the wider post-Yugoslav cultural space during the 2000s, as the historical distance and growing dissatisfaction with capitalism led artists to reach out to the Yugoslav socialist past. This has taken many directions, from the reigniting of fandom of ex-Yugoslav music stars and the creation of tribute bands, to the renewal of interest in songs from World War ii and the composition of new music echoing Yugoslav memories and re-framing Yugoslav popular songs in the broader field of contemporary artistic practices. Most socio-musical formations and cultural scenes that have been fashioned after the break of Yugoslavia either rearticulated and incorporated particular sound legacies strongly associated with Yugoslav socialism or emulated its ‘ethos’ by contrasting the present with ideas and practices of Socialist Yugoslav society. The author will focus on female performers and authors, as well on the smaller socio-musical and artistic contexts related to the feminist movement. By acknowledging, comparing and interpreting the contributions of female and feminist artists / activists in Serbia who use music as a tools for social critique, the article offers an insight into a complex intersection between gender, ideology, and politics of remembrance ‘after Yugoslavia’.

The Authenticity of Diriyah: Between the Philosophy of Place and Time as a Foundation for Designing Contemporary Artwork

This study delves into the integration of the philosophical concepts of space and time within the context of Diriyah's rich cultural and historical backdrop, aiming to leverage these concepts as foundational pillars for innovative artistic design within the visual arts and design domain. It adopts a hybrid methodology that combines descriptive and analytical techniques for its theoretical framework with experimental approaches for practical application. The outcomes underscore the feasibility and potential of melding space and time philosophies to foster unique design ideas for installation art, thereby enriching the visual arts and design landscape. Some recommendations were presented including engaging deeply with philosophical themes such as the essence of space and time. This research not only contributes to the artistic valorization of Diriyah's heritage within the framework of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 but also propels forward the discourse on integrating architectural heritage with contemporary art practices.

Toward A Definition of the Prosthetic Condition: Mario Bellatin, Simón Hosie and Other Ways of Inhabiting Contemporaneity

This article surveys recent Latin American artistic practices that privilege the fragment and embrace interdisciplinarity, thereby creating the conditions of possibility for a distinct way of being in contemporaneity. Coupled with the intervention of an active, emancipated reader/spectator, these practices produce objects, beings, communities, and events that alter what is experienced as “real”. To describe this phenomenon, I propose the notion of the prosthetic condition, a non-ontological way of being proper to contemporaneity that affects entities that exist only conceptually, but that have the potential to operate as “real”. By analysing two contemporary works – the creation of the prosthetic object in Mario Bellatin’s Lecciones para una liebre muerta (2004); and the creation of a prosthetic being in Simón Hosie’s la lavandera de Ciudad Bolívar (2008–2009) – I determine three main characteristics of entities affected by the prosthetic condition: they are artificial, come to fill a void, and produce real effects. The article concludes by considering the potential implications and effects of using the prosthetic condition as a tool to approach both contemporary artistic practices and relational ways of being.

Exploration of Expression Methods in Contemporary Chinese Ink Art Practices - Focused on Contemporary Ink Works Emerging After 1980 -

Exploration of Expression Methods in Contemporary Chinese Ink Art Practices - Focused on Contemporary Ink Works Emerging After 1980 -

Shifting perspectives: exploring the intersection of traditional and digital photography in contemporary artistic practices

The advent of digital photography has ushered in a dynamic era marked by evolving paradigms and practices in visual representation. This research delves into the profound interplay between traditional and digital photographic modalities, investigating their impact on contemporary art and society. Through an art-based research approach, this study examines an innovative artistic experiment conducted by Palestinian artist Ahmed Al-Saffarini. While Al-Saffarini's work serves as a starting point for philosophical reflection, it is the broader conceptual exploration of digital and traditional photography that forms the core of this research. By burying vintage photographic negatives underground for an extended period, Al-Saffarini sought to explore the transformative potential of integrating traditional and digital photography techniques. Drawing on a rich body of literature encompassing philosophical discourse, artistic practice, and technological advancements, this research elucidates key themes shaping the trajectory of photography in the digital age. Phenomenological perspectives illuminate the experiential dimensions of perception and consciousness inherent in the photographic medium, while scholarly debates on analogue versus digital photography underscore the epistemic complexities and artistic possibilities engendered by technological innovation. Furthermore, this study highlights photography's role as a conduit for memory, identity formation, and cultural expression in contemporary society. Through an analysis of Al-Saffarini's artistic experiment and its implications, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of photography's transformative potential and its evolving significance within the artistic landscape. Emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and creative experimentation, this study advocates for the integration of art-based research methodologies in scholarly inquiry, thereby enriching our comprehension of photography's multifaceted nature and its enduring relevance in the digital era.

Artistic Practices in the Context of the Evolution from Web 1.0 to Web 3.0

This article examines the evolution of artists’ interaction with the audience in the context of media culture, linked to the updates of communication mechanisms on the Internet, from the static Web 1.0 to the interactive Web 3.0. The aim of the article is to show the connections between the changes in authorship models and mechanisms of interaction with the audience in artistic practice and the evolutionary development of web technologies. The transformation of contemporary artistic forms is the result of the active influence of digital technologies and the associated collapse of the existing hierarchy between author, performer and audience. The study discusses the strengthening of the interactive component in artistic practices, parallel to the development of Internet technologies from Web 1.0 to the semantic Web 3.0 and analyzes the overlapping of these processes and their mutual influence in the context of post humanist perspectives. It was found that artistic collaborations through collective authorship are a characteristic model of authorship for this phase of Internet development. It was noted that the evolution from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 opens new possibilities for the creation of multisensory experiences, thanks to the use of VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technologies, which are actively used by artists in artistic practices and works, for example in operas or concerts. In addition, the active development and integration of artificial intelligence technologies in artistic practices has been identified. By analyzing musical projects of different genres and forms, the transformative influence of web culture on contemporary artistic practices becomes clear. Keywords: artistic practices, music, internet, technologies, interactivity, communicative models’ development

Dáiddakárta Cartography in Contemporary Art Practices

This article explores contemporary art practices in Sápmi which utilise maps as a tool and medium. The importance of the artist Hans Ragnar Mathisen’s abundant maps from the mid-1970s is acknowledged, and furthermore the article looks into examples from the next generation Sámi artists who create dáiddakárta, which literally translates to art maps. Although not a traditional Sámi way of mapping and orientating in the landscape, dáiddakárt is significant in representing Indigenous people, in knowledge production, decolonial resistance, and reconciliation. Various dáiddakárta broaden the concept of what a ‘map’ has been, and could be, and contribute to the cartographic representations of other forms of being. Emphasising the concept of worlding helps understand mapping as a constant formation, relation and negotiation, and as a forceful and sometimes activist process, not only rendering or representing a world ‘already there’. Instead, the art maps serve as interpretative, aesthetic and even speculative actors in contemporary society.

Print Culture and The Spectacle 2.0

This paper describes creative printmaking practices that employ art as a platform for alternative voices that critique DeBord’s modern-day exploitation systems in the Society of the Spectacle1 (Debord, 1967). The specific art practices discussed aim to tempt mainstream participants caught within the Spectacle’s cycle to recognise, evaluate, and reconsider the impact these systems have on contemporary society. The creative industries have spent much time ‘on mute’ throughout the past two years. While navigating the ever-changing lockdowns and restrictions, art practitioners – whose role is often to bring people together physically – have been forced to operate in isolation from behind a keyboard. As visual practitioners, we must speak out in response to these COVID-related paradigm shifts with the most effective post-pandemic voice we can muster: our art practice. This paper suggests that a potent reaction to our impacted creative lives comes from understanding how the Spectacle’s mechanisms operate in a contemporary sense during this pandemic. At the same time, it discusses how art can be used to challenge the principles and ethics of a culture caught within the Spectacle. The paper also discusses historical and contemporary artists and art practices that utilise the same techniques, mediums, and frameworks employed by the Spectacle to expose the mechanisms of present-day Spectacle 2.0. These artists, who draw from print culture, utilise methodologies that successfully navigate the risks of becoming part of the ongoing cycle that the Spectacle perpetuates.

Integrating NFTs into Feminist Art Practices: Actualizing the Disruptive Potential of Decentralized Technology

The integration of NFT technology into the art market utilizes a two-pronged approach of decentralization and increased accessibility as an equalizing answer to rectify gender discrepancies in the contemporary art world. This is not the first time that technology as an art medium has been used as a feminist tool to disrupt the previously established status quo. Through the exploration of the 1990’s Cyberfeminist Net Art Movement, this article will discuss how female-identifying artists employ technological characteristics such as anonymity and online gender masquerading to answer the exclusionary issues affecting their art practices. Furthermore, it will examine how NFTs work to build upon the previously established revolutionary movement of the 1990s to evolve the contemporary art practices of feminist artists. Additionally, this article will address the impacts of this new digital landscape, where anonymity is preferred and algorithmic ordering is non-existent, as a more pragmatic way of creating, selling, and buying art. Finally, this article will examine how the integration of blockchain technology—entirely machine-operated and free from human manipulation—aims to eliminate the human biases of identifying factors such as gender that can be concealed or fabricated when operating in an online sphere.

Like Drifting Sand Dunes: Noisy Lessons in a Porous Field

AbstractThis paper argues that the teaching of art in Higher Educational Institutions is inherently paradoxical. Informed by the transgressive and interdisciplinary qualities of contemporary artistic practices, education nevertheless is often made to fit into a reductionist, outcome‐oriented and individualistic discourse. Taking a weeklong workshop at the Nida Art Colony in Lithuania as a practical axis for its reflections on the fluid nature of art education, the paper discusses possibilities of extending beyond pedagogical, political, human/nonhuman and other borders and treating ‘noise’ and other ‘interferences’ as opportunities for transgression and dialogue. This workshop with students from the Vilnius Academy of Arts took place in September 2022, at a time characterised by the Russia–Ukraine war. Nida's proximity to Russia's exclave Kaliningrad, its location on the narrow Curonian Spit, and its immediate environment characterised by woods and sand dunes provide this paper with a setting for a discussion about a variety of borders: territorial borders, border pedagogies, perceived borders between human and nonhuman entities, between land and sea, and so on. Borders are described as dominant indicators of power and distinction, while educational standards and instruments of measurement often replicate similar distinctions between the known and the unfamiliar. Yet, borders can also be shifted while new connections and dialogues across real and conceptual borders can be forged in a porous process that is predisposed towards flexible scenarios characterised by the ‘not‐yet’. The surrounding forest and wetlands and huge drifting sand dunes in Nida become analogies for the changing structure of the workshop, silently yet overpoweringly advocating for a mutable pedagogy. Analysed through the work of various contemporary artists, this nonhuman intrusion into a pedagogical and creative experience is both undefined and vulnerable, unlike the preordained structures of attainment targets often associated with contemporary schooling.

The Evolutionary Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Contemporary Artistic Practices

This article explores the transformative influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on contemporary art, focusing on the integration of AI in creative processes, the reception of AI-generated art, and the ethical considerations it raises. As AI technologies become more sophisticated, they redefine artistic creation, collaboration, and interaction, expanding the traditional boundaries of art. By employing AI, artists access new tools for enhancing creativity, automating production, and engaging audiences through interactive installations. However, this integration also brings challenges, particularly concerning the authenticity and ethical implications of AI-generated art. The article discusses AI's role in augmenting creativity, its impact on art production, the dynamic ways it engages audiences, and the ethical dilemmas it presents, such as data privacy and intellectual property rights. The discussion aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI is reshaping the art world, influencing artistic communities, and prompting a reevaluation of art in the digital age.

Dialogues between Past and Present? Modern Art, Contemporary Art Practice, and Ancient Egypt in the Museum

Whenever twentieth-century modern art or new contemporary artworks are included amongst displays of ancient Egypt, press statements often assert that such juxtapositions are ‘surprising’, ‘innovative’, and ‘fresh’, celebrating the external perspective they bring to such collections. But contemporary art’s relationship with museums and other disciplines needs to be understood in a longer-term perspective. Pairings of twentieth- and twenty-first-century artistic works with objects of antiquity is an activity that has been undertaken for more than a century in what has been a relatively long period of mutually reinforcing influences between modern/contemporary art, museum display, the art market, and Egyptian heritage. Together, they have decontextualised ancient Egyptian culture and shaped the language and perspectives of scholars, curators, and artists. In this paper, rather than considering how artists have been inspired by ancient Egypt, I will give a few examples of how more recent art practices from the late nineteenth century onwards have impacted the language and discourse of Egyptology and its museum representation. Then, using more recent artist engagements with the British Museum, I argue for greater interdisciplinary dialogues between artists and Egyptologists, as both take more critical stances towards research that recontextualises the power and agency of collections, representation, and knowledge production.

Intervención sonora en una escultura tipo Baschet

Some contemporary art practices base their discursive strategy on the amalgamation or mixture of different artistic media; these media are united and/or blended and thereby produce new aesthetic approaches to be experienced by both spectators and performers. This condition of contemporary art compels critics, historians, or writers to navigate certain unknown waters, delving into languages that are sometimes foreign to the visual arts and proper to other artistic media. In 2017, the sound artist Josep Cerdà, heir and successor to a large extent of the sculptural work developed by the Baschet brothers, was in Bogotá running a creative workshop to build a Baschet-type sound sculpture that was later used to create a sound intervention; this essay attempts an historical and aesthetic analysis based on this intervention. Readers are advised to first view and listen to the sound intervention at the following link in order to understand the development of the essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FyYm15xGbs

“Politics in Matter”: Concrete Expressions in Contemporary Palestinian Art of Resistance

This article examines the utilization of concrete as a medium for artistic expression in the art produced by contemporary Palestinian artists residing in the State of Israel. The author proposes that when considered through Eyal Weizman’s lens of "politics in matter," concrete emerges in contemporary Palestinian art as a significant material intersecting with the broader political fabric, an artistic medium intricately linked to the ongoing struggle for Palestinian identity, nationalism, and human rights. Within the geopolitical context of Israel/Palestine, concrete thus gives rise to multifaceted associations of struggle, violence, defense, and fear. Contemporary Palestinian artists actively engage with concrete, repurposing it as a tool for artistic, civic, and political resistance. They challenge dominant narratives, contest prevailing historical accounts, and confront oppressive structures. Their works reimagine shared spaces, contest the erasure of Palestinian history, and amplify marginalized voices. Concrete becomes a material embodiment of the complexities experienced by Palestinian artists residing and working within the State of Israel, its finally symbolizing resistance and catalyzing the reimagining of alternative futures. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of how concrete is employed and represented within contemporary Palestinian artistic practices, shedding light on its role in shaping Palestinian experiences and contributing to a nuanced understanding of the Palestinian/Israeli context. By exploring the politics of concrete, the article enhances our understanding of its significance in contemporary Palestinian art and its place in the broader discourse of art history.

PARADIGMS OF RESEARCH IN HYBRID ARTISTIC PRACTICES

The context in which artistic practices are developed today requires a constant preoccupation with the challenges and commitments of artistic research, an intrinsic condition of these endeavors. Artistic research supports many points of coincidence, interaction, or overlap with the principles of scientific research, although they are characterized by a series of specific parameters. Due to the particularities of artistic research, art that questions topics of global interest (as happens in the case of sustainability, ecology or technology) is the art of our time, and the communication of these positions presupposes the development of ideas through research. The present text establishes a series of parameters related to engagement in artistic research, approached through the prism of representative contemporary artistic practices.