Art Project Research Articles

Auro Lecci’s Algorithmic Art: Toward the Computer as a Thinking Machine

Abstract This paper analyzes Italian artist Auro Lecci’s contribution to pioneering media art, beginning with his paintings and ending with his computer artworks (1969–1972). As the author suggests, Lecci’s paintings were already characterized by an algorithmic method that the artist went on to develop in his computer-generated works. The paper first discusses the plotter drawings Lecci created at the Computing Center of the University of Pisa (CNUCE), and then focuses on his last computer art project, made at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, to suggest connections between Lecci’s work and artificial intelligence.

ЭСХАТОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ И АПОКАЛИПТИЧЕСКИЕ МОТИВЫ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ РОССИЙСКОМ ИСКУССТВЕ

The relevance of the study is due to the appeal in contemporary Russian Art of eschatological and apocalyptic issues, themes of catastrophism, the finality of being and the world without a person, etc. The purpose of the study is to identify key strategies and concepts that embody the experience of the end of time, the feeling of a catastrophe, extinction and the ways of the existence of future humanity in Russian contemporary art. The study based on the analysis art projects of the early 21st century by Russian artists (Peter Belyi, Dmitry Kawarga, art-groupe «Where Dogs Run»). The results ot the study showed tendencies of reflection of the apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic themes: 1) a world without a person, experiencing the end of time as a space of emptiness and ruins; 2) Chthulucene as a new future, “human composting” and tentacular thinking; 3) symbiosis of figures and creatures, avoidance of man; 4) digital apocalypse and digital immortality.

JÉSSICA CAITANO E CORDEL NO PAJEÚ: MULHERES RURAIS E “OUTRA” COLHEITA DO TRABALHO

The corpus of this article is the cordel by Jéssica Caitano, a contemporary and multifaceted artist from the Sertão do Pajeú, entitled "E a vida do sertanejo combina com poesia" (And the life of the sertanejo goes with poetry). The proposal is to point out a possible interpretative path for the various meanings carved out by the author throughout her singing in the composition published by the "Caretas Cartonera" label, originating in Triunfo, Pernambuco-Brazil, the city where Caitano was born. The selected cordel is discussed in interface with the sociological debate on the issue of work and the use of rural women's daily time, in dialogue with Moraes (MORAES Et. Al., 2020). With this design, this work seeks to present the artist's poetic project as linked to the valorization of regional popular tradition and its main singing rites, as well as connected to mottos that are very attentive to the contemporary issues that surround the representations of rural women and their living conditions, often linked to unpaid and subordinate domestic work in the geographical context of the Sertão do Pajeú.

Sacred Art from the Frontline: The Iconography and Symbolism of the Contemporary Ukrainian Art Project “Holy Icons on Ammunition Boxes”

Sacred Art from the Frontline: The Iconography and Symbolism of the Contemporary Ukrainian Art Project “Holy Icons on Ammunition Boxes”

Review of Documents from the Russian State Library and the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, Regarding the Defense of Graduate Art Projects (Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Series, etc.), Also Known as “Creative Theses”, by Artists Pursuing the Degree of Candidate of Art History in the US SR

According to Soviet Ministry of Higher Education Order No. 524 dated September 30, 1946, “On Measures to Enhance the Training of Graduate Students in Art Institutes”, the academic degree of Candidate of Art History could be conferred upon “an art practitioner, aspiring artist, for an artwork in their specialty, accompanied by the presentation and exhibition of the graduation work, along with pertinent drawings, studies and sketches”. Documents from the collections of the Russian State Library (RSL) and the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art (RSALA) contain records of the defenses of graduate art projects (easel painting, monumental painting, sculpture, graphic series, theatrical decorative design), also known as “creative theses”, held from 1946 to 1956. Twenty-two defenses took place at the Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, while twenty-one were held at the Surikov Moscow State Art Institute. The research conducted on library and archival resources enables the introduction of previously unstudied documents into scholarly discourse regarding the history of Soviet fine arts, the procedures for awarding academic degrees in the USSR, and creative postgraduate studies in the country's leading art institutes. These dissertations explore important themes of Soviet history and social life, many of which hold undeniable cultural and historical significance, with some being included in the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation.

The Mystery Arts Box Project: a qualitative exploration of the experiences, benefits, and challenges of participating in a remotely delivered art and craft project for British veterans with visual impairment

IntroductionThe clinical application of the arts among military personnel and veterans has been well documented, particularly in relation to service-related mental health difficulties. However, the impacts of engaging recreationally with...

Enhancing comfort of resident physicians treating adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by facilitating meaningful interactions.

Many physicians feel uncomfortable caring for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). While some residency training programs include lecture content on IDD, few provide structured experiences with individuals with IDD. One strategy for improving comfort is "contact theory:" increasing interactions with "dissimilar" people can lead to decreased negative attitudes toward that population. Evaluate the impact of an interactive session on resident physicians' comfort with adults with IDD. Small groups of resident physicians and artists with IDD collaborated on art projects during the noon conference. A prospective pre-post-intervention survey, including the validated Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale (IDP), evaluated residents' comfort with patients with IDD before and after the session. 53 residents completed both pre- and post-conference surveys. Mean IDP scores decreased from 78.7 (10.9) to 75.8 (9.5; p < 0.01), indicating decreasing discomfort. The mean level of comfort interacting with individuals with IDD increased from uncomfortable 3.6 (1.2), before the intervention, to comfortable 4.4 (1.2) after the intervention (p = <0.01). The mean level of comfort treating individuals with IDD increased from uncomfortable 3.5 (1.1) to comfortable 4.1 (1.3) after the intervention (p < 0.01). Providing resident physicians with real-life connections with people with IDD was associated with increased comfort. If statistically significant improvements occurred after one session, future studies should evaluate if additional experiences with people with IDD could have more substantial, lasting impacts on future doctors' comfort with and willingness to care for patients with IDD.

Rural Tourism Design Strategy Under The Immersive Experience——A Case Study of Terraced Fields in Qingkou Village, Yuanyang, Yunnan, China

Objective: The objective of this study is to explores the current problems of rural tourism in Yuanyang Turnip Kou through the study of the immersion concept, and its main purpose is to explore the development strategy of rural tourism in Turnip Kou under the immersion concept, and its ultimate goal is to promote the economic Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the main concepts and theories that underpin the research are presented. Immersive experience stand out, providing a solid basis for understanding the context of the investigation. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises case study, and the specific practice and effect of immersive experience in rural tourism improvement are analyzed through interviews and observations. Focus on examining the immersive experience concept, implementation process, participant feedback and impact on local economic, social and cultural development of art projects. Results and Discussion: Combining rural tourism and immersive experience is conducive to creating colorful rural tourism activities and enhancing the interest of tourists in the tourism process. Research Implications: This study provides valuable concept of immersive experience, this paper will analyze the characteristics of immersive experience and the development of tourism in Qingkou Village, and discuss the application method of immersive experience in rural tourism, so as to promote the sustainable development of rural tourism in Qingkou Village in Yuanyang. Originality/Value: This study has great significance to study the design strategy of immersive rural tourism using the terraced fields of Turnip Kou Village in Yuanyang, China as a case study. Combining local culture with the concept of immersive experience, creatively designing rich experience programmes, such as farming interaction and handicraft experience, will deepen tourists' understanding of local culture. Enhance the experience with the help of modern technology, such as virtual reality. This move not only taps into local culture, but also promotes the sustainable development of rural tourism.

Being able to be myself: Understanding autonomy and autonomy-support from the perspectives of autistic adults with intellectual disabilities.

Autistic young adults with intellectual disabilities want to be autonomous but are less autonomous than other people. However, they can be autonomous with appropriate support. We wanted to learn how we can support autistic adults with intellectual disabilities to be more autonomous. We designed our study with help from five autistic community partners to make sure the research was relevant to autistic people and would improve their lives. We talked with eight autistic young adults with intellectual disabilities about autonomy. We defined "talk" as verbal language, as well as non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, vocalizations, and laughter. We did art projects and played games while we talked. We met in small groups over multiple sessions. Our participants told us that being autonomous meant being able to be themselves. They told us three main ways to support their autonomy: (1) having choice and control, (2) being able to communicate in their own way, and (3) being in a safe environment. Families, support staff, and caregivers can use this information to help autistic young adults with intellectual disabilities to be autonomous.

Subjective Nature

Science, thought and art meet within the limits of reality, in how reality is understood and represented.. This is where the art-techne binomial materialises graphics, which in turn facilitate the faithful or fictionalised reproduction of our environment. The vocation of science is to advance explanations of the world through a supposedly objective gaze, and the vocation of art is to broaden this understanding by evoking other sensitive and unexpected perspectives. Given the historical relationship between printmaking and the dissemination of knowledge in all fields and the natural sciences in particular, we would like to present the graphic derivations of a collaborative experience between a printmaking artist-cum-researcher and a researcher in forestry science. The experience: A multidimensional approach to the plant: An art and science project started at the end of 2021 when the author, Antía Iglesias, an art student from the interdisciplinary PhD programme in Creativity, Social Innovation and Sustainability (Universidade de Vigo, Spain) (Fig. 1) collaborated with another student, Marion Boisseaux, a PhD student in Tropical Ecology (Université de Guyane) during a research stay in French Guyana. The two students began a joint project to analyse and represent tropical tree seedling species (that Marion had selected in her DRYER project, which observed the effect of drought due to climate change) using their respective technical, numerical and graphical languages, and to provide multiple representations of the plants. This paper aims to present this common experience through the description and analysis of the process that was followed, from a botanical illustration to obtaining graphic digressions from these plants. We will now focus on the derivations obtained from the digital biomimetic record, laser engraving, and printing experimentation.

A German DJ, Postmodern Dreams, and the Ambivalent Politics of East–West Exchange at the First Exhibition of Approximate Art in Riga, April 1987

Organized as part of the annual Art Days festival in the capital of the Latvian SSR, the First Exhibition of Approximate Art comprised a cacophonous and provocative mashup of music, dance, performance art, and design. At the center of the event was a demonstration of mixing and scratching records by Maximilian Lenz, also known as Westbam, one of the leading DJs in West Berlin. Mining archival sources in Berlin and Riga, this article reconstructs the complicated path by which the DJ came to perform at the event. It reveals a surprising network of relations and alliances operating in tandem behind the scenes, featuring a Riga artist dedicated to enacting a vision of postmodern performance in his city, an ambitiously networking émigré Latvian living in exile in West Germany, and a pair of Soviet offices under direct control of the KGB, charged with managing cultural exchanges with the West in hopes of currying sympathies for Soviet culture and policy. Complementing and extending research on the “gaps” and “holes” in the Soviet system that sometimes allowed for the staging of otherwise unacceptable works of art, the story of the First Exhibition of Approximate Art reveals how personal connections and interpersonal networks within even the most highly monitored parts of the system itself—the state security apparatus—could open doors for artistic projects unanticipated and even undesired by the bureaucratic state.

Plot Twist: Unexpected twists in the sexist narrative of reggaetón

Building on ideas of feminism and post-feminism, this paper looks at the development and reception of reggaetón, which has been associated with buzzwords such as machismo and sexism, especially at the beginning of its emergence around the turn of the millennium. Its aim is to show what roles these two concepts have played in this Latin American pop music genre since its emergence. It discusses and illuminates ambivalences within the genre on an artistic level as well as impulses and turning points in its reception using examples from artistic projects and post-feminist voices of women who experience reggaetón as positive for themselves and have been able to establish new perspectives in the context of sexism, feminism and the freedom of female sexuality through it.

Communicative potential of stop-motion animation in the practice of modern design

The relevance of the research is determined by the need to substantiate and implement effective visualnarrative media formats for creating effective visual communications capable of clearly conveying messages and ideas to the viewer. The purpose of the work is to reveal and evaluate the communicative potential of stop-motion animation in the context of audiovisual practices of modern design. Research methodology is formed by general scientific and special methods, in particular, comparative and historical analysis, scientific analysis and synthesis, methods of visual observation, modeling, art history and content analysis. The research substantiates the technical techniques, formal and artistic approaches of stop-motion and reveals their influence on the communicative potential of animation in the context of various project tasks. The effectiveness of the tools of stop-motion animation in modern audiovisual design practices for increasing the emotional involvement of the audience and improving the perception of content due to attractiveness and experimentation has been proven. The ability of stop-motion animation for detail, visual saturation, expressiveness and emotional expressiveness can play a key role in solving design problems where a deep narrative impact needs to be achieved. The paper substantiates the expediency of using the main technical techniques of stop-motion animation in the implementation of specific conceptual project tasks, in particular in short animated films of various genres, in advertising videos, in art projects, where the goal can be achieved due to the high artistic characteristics of the visual series, interactivity and emotional interaction with the viewer. The practical value of the work is determined by the possibility of implementing the research results into practical recommendations for the implementation of specific projects. The results of the research can be useful in the academic community for the further development of the theoretical foundations of stop-motion animation and the expansion of project approaches in educational courses related to audiovisual art and visual communication

Marriage and motherhood: Insights on a crucial life course process from the perspective of female arab-palestinian undergraduate students

Despite changes in women's status in recent decades in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel, marriage and motherhood still play a central role. Moreover, although the increase in the integration rates of young Arab-Palestinian women into the higher education system, as girls belonging to a minority group with traditional structures, they are expected to prioritize family and community expectations over personal aspirations. This study focuses on art projects of female Arab-Palestinian college students in Israel, which serve as a prism for detecting cultural perceptions of pathways to entering adulthood among this population today. These topics are central themes in the projects in question. Working on these projects forced the students to profoundly contemplate their life stage - being engaged or newly married and young mothers. The aim of the study was to decode the artworks in order to explore the students’ feelings and thoughts on a topic rarely considered through the eyes of the young women themselves. The study provides a nuanced examination of the social processes that young educated Arab-Palestinian women experience in the current family structure. By analysing the projects using visual tools from semiotics and art history, along with verbal texts provided by the students, we assert that these projects serve as a crucial avenue for students’ self-expression regarding topics seldom addressed. Even though the projects cannot be understood as critical of traditional gender expectations, we did find some interesting voices of unease regarding them. The move from their parents' home to their new one is widely described as difficult, where sadness and concern about the future are highly noticeable. In addition to accepting the stages of marriage and motherhood with joy and excitement, they also express fear and hesitation. This tension between fulfilling their expected roles and being unsure and hesitant about them exists in the projects. We claim that even if implicit and careful, these signs are important to recognize. However, it seems that higher education has failed to significantly undermine patriarchal and gender expectations.

The gaze on ‘primitive’ others in Japanese modern art: ethnography, art, and curatorial perspectives

This essay explores the gaze directed at ‘primitive’ others by Japanese modern artists Hijikata Hisakatsu (1900–1977) and Miyatake Tatsuo (1892–1960), focusing on both art and ethnography in the southern territories of Imperial Japan. By analyzing their artworks, writings, and curatorial perspectives, I detail how Hijikata and Miyatake represented ‘primitive’ others in their art and curatorial projects when they returned to Japan from their field trips and how they developed their primitivizing gaze during the era of imperialism and colonialism. This essay aims to reevaluate their works relating to primitivism, clarifying the cultural and social contexts that had enabled them to explore the gaze directed at ‘primitive’ others and thus reinforcing stereotypical images.

Feral Experiments in CreaTures Co-Laboratory

We share insights from our practice-based experimentation with ‘feral’ ways of sensemaking in the context of creative transformational practices. Drawing on three art and design research projects, we discuss how feral ways–open-ended, spontaneous, welcoming indeterminacy – may foster more-than-human co-creation of knowledge and data, and nurture shifts from anthropocentric ‘making sense of’ to relational ‘making sense-with’ other-than-human creatures. Through our cases, we illustrate how experimenting with feralness can foreground issues of power, agency, and control in the currently human-centric discourses around data, technology, and sensemaking in eco-social transformation. Our insights may nurture critical more-than-human perspectives in creative eco-social inquiries.

Wearing their heart on a wall: the World’s Biggest Comic

Abstract An arts-based project, using a community development approach engaging people in a community of place to address suicide prevention, is potentially powerful. This involves linking community development and mental health promotion practice. The challenge in doing this is that, conceptually, the integration between the two is incomplete and there is a lack of guidance about effective community processes. This paper analyses community development processes to create the World’s Biggest Comic (WBC). The WBC was an innovative, large scale public art project engaging local artists, some with a lived experience of mental illness, to tell a story of Will and Hope. A 15-part comic story, printed on vinyl canvas panels and mounted on buildings, covered 600 m2. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=217471332673743 Conducted in a small rural South Australian community by the local volunteer Suicide Prevention Network, the WBC aimed to raise awareness, break down stigma, and prompt life-saving conversations. Results of a mixed method impact evaluation are presented using a community development framework that considers ‘people’, ‘space’, and ‘place’. The use of sociological concepts about community and the community field, the value of relationships, and listening to the voices of those with a lived experience of mental illness, may assist practice. Some potential learnings and pitfalls in using a community development approach in mental health promotion are discussed.

Examining contrasting influences of extreme weather experiences on individual climate activism

Researchers have examined how extreme weather experiences influence climate change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, with mixed results. However, limited research has explored how extreme weather experiences may affect climate-related perceptions and behaviors among climate activists. Given the significant role activism plays in climate action, as well as frequent dropout and burnout among activists, it is important to understand to what extent, how, and why extreme weather may influence individual climate activism. This study explores reported influences of extreme weather experiences on climate perceptions and activism through interviews with 33 Australian adults who directly experienced bushfires and previously engaged in climate activism. All participants felt more vulnerable to climate change after experiencing bushfires. Fifteen participants (45%) increased their activism; 13 (39%) maintained the same activism level; and 5 (15%) decreased their activism. Participants who increased their activism sought to share their bushfire stories with news media, policymakers, and through artistic projects. Climate activism helped several participants cope with bushfire-related trauma, whereas several other participants reduced their activism because their experiences undermined self-efficacy (perception that one can act on climate change). These findings show the divergent ways individuals may respond to extreme weather experiences and have implications for climate action mobilization strategies.

Visual artists’ professional and social status: Insights from post-socialist Serbia

This article suggests a new model for artist engagement by analysing challenges independent visual artists face in Serbia due to the shift to neoliberal capitalism. The aim is to address the alienation of independent visual artists from broader socio-political issues and to improve their social status through a socio-emancipatory mission of artistic practice. The methodology involves analysing international working conditions for artists, different cultural policy models, and alternative modes of artistic engagement, as well as case study of a community art project in Stara Pazova (Serbia). The significance of studying Serbia rests in its historical experience of self-management when culture was considered an integral part of the socialist society, fostering emancipation and creative freedom. The proposed model emphasizes the horizontality of decision-making and the need for progressive cultural policies that foster experimentation, autonomy, and freedom from bureaucratic requirements.

Author and narrator in fanfiction community texts (a study of fanfics based on literary classics)

Recent research on Russian-language fanfiction has focused on analyzing the fanfic text itself, exploring its structural, stylistic, and artistic aspects. While the role of the author in the fanfiction community has always been crucial, the current research emphasizes a more comprehensive investigation of the sociological dimension of authorship rather than its literary aspects. The unique communication style prevalent in the fanfiction community challenges the traditional model of author-reader relations, leading to a shift in the dynamics of interaction between ficwriters and ficreaders. This change creates a noticeable gap in the academic understanding of the different forms of authorship in fanfiction. To maintain a meaningful author–reader–original text dialogue, ficwriters introduce a specific narrator persona. Our study, which examines narrators in fanfics based on Russian classical literature through comparative analysis with metatextual information and insights from in-depth interviews, concludes that the narrator possesses both obligatory and optional features. These features enable the narrator to act as an intratextual mediator in the ongoing dialogue between the author and the reader. The narrator seamlessly integrates into the fictional world as a character while conveying the author’s perspective outside the text. This role significantly differs from the conventional concept of a “raisonneur.” The analysis of the narrative structure reveals that the narrator in fanfiction serves as an artistic projection of the fanfic author, blurring the lines between biographical and artistic authorship for both readers and the author. The narrator actively contributes to the storytelling process, providing synchronous commentary on their own work and exercising control over the characters. This aligns with the authorial intention in fanfiction, where the author initiates a dialogue between readers and the classic source text, both “from inside” and “outside” the text through creative interpretation.