Conference opening and preface

Opening of Elastic Writing in Artistic Research CARPA7 conference: Various Elastic Writings: introductory panel by conference committee members Leena Rouhiainen, Lynda Gaudreau, Davide Giovanzana and Mikael Brygger.

An evocative and performative introduction to Elastic Writing in Artistic Research with a welcoming speech to CARPA7 held on Wednesday August 25^th, 2022.

Proceedings Preface

This proceedings documents the contents of several of the presentations held atthe 7^th Colloquium on Artistic Research in Performing Arts (CARPA7) titled Elastic Writing in Artistic Research held online between August 25–28, 2021. In general, the purpose of the CARPA colloquia that are arranged by the Performing Arts Research Centre of the Theatre Academy at Uniarts Helsinki is to contribute to development of artistic research practices in the field of the performing arts and to foster their social, pedagogical and ecological connections. This time the conference focused on the problem of writing in artistic research that since the emergence of the research approach has been one its most actively debated issues. When understood as a form of knowledge production, artistic research has both utilised and questioned the known forms of scientific writing in portraying the artistic undertakings inherent to it. Even the necessity to include any explanatory text in artistic research has been argued against in an effort to substantiate the arts’ own most aesthetic and epistemological qualities. In appreciating these qualities, artistic research appropriates forms of conventionalised writing by disputing, disrupting and playing with their institutionalised practice and creates completely new forms of reflective articulation.

Artist-researchers increasingly work with multi-media formats to creatively utilise, challenge and supplement words and written texts, and to integrate reflective appraisal into artworks themselves. The technologies of writing, including digital ones, offer opportunities for exploring the potentials and limits of the materials, media and approaches to writing in artistic research. The conference Elastic Writing in Artistic Research invites participants to introduce and explore extended forms of writing that critically substantiate the aesthetic and creative features and diverse knowledges involved in artistic research. It brings together artistic doctorates and other artist-researchers to examine together how to carve, tear, scratch, score, sketch, draw, trace, design and outline artistic research in performing arts in the post-Anthropocene, pandemic era.

The conference addresses its thematic through a threefold grid: Forms of Writing (with No Hands), Dis(guised) Writing and Techno-Writing. Through their plenary session presentations Christian Bök, Tim Etchells and Maria Fusco, pathfinders in performance writing, technological writing and language-based artistic research, stimulated the shared discussion at the conference. Additionally, CARPA7 consisted of 48 thought-provoking and action-inspiring presentations that utilized the online opportunities in creative ways. They addressed heterogenous writing related topics such as the future of the text, the interests of time, the servant now, site-specific dialogues, reading, liminal veils, creative-critical-codes, transcorporeality, the classic gold premium, love and research letters, letters with trees, the paradoxical dissertation, unfinished thinking, attack, the phony, the actress, writing about piano music, at Betty’s and Bob’s, work diary, overlapping bodies, children, research, rock, the untitled, zoom, knowledge, conversation as material, if only, dirty words, the versificator, anything at all, wormholes, words in bodies, translation, the last word, brain derivé, monsterrers&hurrors, apostrophes, manifestos as well as diffractive, simultaneous, moving, economic, heavy and secret writing. All in all, the inter-rogation at the conference offered insights into ways that artistic research appropriates forms of conventionalised writing, disputes, disrupts and plays with their institutionalised practice and creates completely new forms of artistic and reflective articulation.

This proceedings consists of 26 contributions based on these informed and versatile research outputs that reflect the lively exchange that took place at the conference. The overall number of conference delegates testified to the appeal of the conference and an interest in artist-researchers exchanging about the future potentials of artistic research. All in all, CARPA7 had 159 attendees from 26 different countries. On behalf of the conference committee and organizers, I would like to thank all the participants and presenters. We hope you enjoy reading the following submissions.