The weft. Time-based media arts and cross-art practices

by Dr. Phil. Sergio Patricio (Valenzuela Valdes), MA.

5th International Conference Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges Interdisciplinary Creativity in Arts and Technology Hybrid - Corfu/Online, May 12-13, 2023

Abstract: The weft is an article that requests to hold time and attention about time-based art practices, especially the ones that rely on time as a medium with the usage of technology and multimedia formats to be presented live in the case of performance art, for example. The article is more than a dialogue of a theory, it is a speculation about the future of these practices in terms of cultural impact and sustainability. The questions and speculations posed a question about the status of these practices within the facilitation in educators and practitioners related to Time.

Presentation

In a fast contemporary society, slow-down practices request to accomplish long-term artistic research. The article does not refer to the weft of “artistic disciplines” rather than “crossing artistic practices” into an observable weft, in terms that disciplines as a notion belong to a classification of education based on an old tradition of production of knowledge. Knowing that media or milieu could help the idea of “across disciplines” to find a light in art education in the long-term embracement of new cross-practices.

The weft refers to weaving, the crosswise threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the warp) are passed to make cloth. In the context of art, it could refer to the cross-disciplinary education in art academies, where “disciplines in different fields” (art practices on oceans of knowledge) come together like aesthetics and art history or issues and lectures about color, space and composition, for example. Sometimes that is conceived wrong from my perspective, understanding arts today as practice in ecology that crosses different seas of knowledge. My practice is defined as performance and my investigation of some topics is the result of the exploration in situ by body-based research, in resistance with topics like embodiments, individuation and politics of collaboration. The limitation of the finitude of my perspectives resulted in my art practice forcing me to cross my sea of knowledge in a “ship” of ideas to find another entity to connect and build a cross-practice together.

To understand and agree on some definitions before starting to unveil the threads of the wef, I will leave here some points to discuss forms of arts, art practices and practitioners, for example:

How to define something that resists definition, however, performance art definition could be:

To zoom out the performance practice, the Time-based media art definition is called to play a fundamental role in the detection of knowledge that emerged from the mediated actions enacted by this particular art form:

In general, time is a concept that refers to the progression of events, and the measurement of this progression in units such as seconds, minutes, and hours. Time perception refers to the way that we experience and understand time. In art, time can be used as a medium or element in various ways.

Time can be the subject matter of a work of art. For example, an artist might create a series of paintings that explore the passage of time or the cycles of nature. As a structural element: Time can also be used structurally in art, such as in music, where the organization of sounds in time is a fundamental aspect of the medium. In visual art, time can be used to structure the progression of an installation or performance.

But as a medium: Time-based media art, such as video, film, and interactive installations, use time as a medium in and of itself. These forms of art rely on the passage of time to create meaning and engage the viewer. In all of these cases, the way that time is experienced and perceived by the viewer can be an important aspect of the work of art. For example, the viewer’s perception of the passage of time can be manipulated through the use of techniques such as looping or slow motion. I hope this helps to clarify the concept of time in art. Interactive outcomes of time-based media practices can request an active position from the audience becoming more than only a passive viewer, such as games or even integrated into the action of one planned event.

Performance art and time-based media art have a long history and have contributed significantly to the development of contemporary art. Many artists have found these forms to be powerful and effective ways of expressing themselves and communicating their ideas, and they have played a role in shaping the art world and cultural landscape. Whether or not these forms of art continue to be practiced in the future will depend on the interest and support of future artists and audiences.

The important activity that is part of these practices of Time is focused on sharing and experiencing with themselves, with others and with the rest, connecting or disconnecting. Perhaps the internet will shape the future of performance art and time-based media art, but it’s hard to predict. However, these developments will likely continue to have an impact on how these forms of art are shared and experienced.The weft refers to the networking in cross-practices in arts and other seas of knowledge, I prefer to call them oceans of knowledge because it can go deeply not only in the research but also in the connectivity. It is very particular on this form of art that requests to hold time and long-term projects, to develop ways of transactions and establish ways of diplomacy between the practitioners as well with the viewers or audience,

Long-term diving into a deep connection requests more attention and awareness, especially the ones that are related to body-based research, especially the ones that rely on time as a medium with the usage of technology and multimedia formats to be presented live in the case of performance art, for example.

Artistic research nowadays in time-based media arts and art practices is part of a biosphere of art education, and ecology that develops creative strategies to question structures within the sociocultural realm. In that thinner layer of exploration, artistic research emphasizes the production of new knowledge. Moreover, within that context, time-based media results from many art practices using a diversity of media that includes performance and actions. Those very particular ones request a more particular lens of observation based on multiple observatory perspectives and a particular lens to analyse the weft of factors involved. So then, these studies and practices could help institutions to request long-term relationships between students - lecturers - institutions, practitioners, and cultural facilitators (a connection-ship, perhaps)

To reach this goal, art institutions request to call for slow-down practices. I argue this is framed into a fast society and non-stop and infinite content requested. Reaching the goal of a deep- connection between body-based researchers and practitioners needs a deep- investigation to accomplish long-term artistic research. Therefore, the weft of the body- based research rather than crossing artistic practices to observe weft, will need an extensive scrutiny of “across bodily practices” to find a light in art education in the long-term embracement of new knowledge to acquire a deep understanding of these cross-practices. Even more, it requests a constant update of a model education, as well as a cultural infrastructure to stream the squeezed new knowledge, resulting in and making possible adaptive and responsive art practices.

For example, performance art is a type of art activity that involves a live presentation, often incorporating elements of theatre, music, dance, and the visual arts. Performance within time-based media arts refers to an art practice that is inscribed in the field of artworks that rely on time as an axis presented using electronic media, such as video, film, and interactive installations. Ultimately, a combination of factors can change over time. Could be difficult to imagine how technology will impact and evolve, the increasing use of virtual and augmented reality technologies could change how audiences interact with time-based media art. As well as the art market, environmental and sustainable choices decided by economic factors, can demand different types of art, and can also affect the value of an artist’s work. So then Bodily practices that deep-connect by the embodiment of investigating concepts and questions through diving into fresh or old oceans of knowledge will request a system of translation into the cultural frame where appear and streams the contents for a passive/active viewer/audience. That is one of the risks of VR and AR-based media arts. Where “real” and “reality” will second-guess the vulnerability and sensitive risk of one singular experience involved in a particular encounter, a weft of these particular human bodies.

Speculating about the future of time-based media arts can open possibilities about the access, analysis, and political perspectives that can include Transactional - radical care- transformation, how to make connections, what are the roles of the bodies in social engagement. Feedback from society and other science fundamental reality observations can raise new questions about how terminology and set different notions we do not agree about. What body-based research looks like. What is the difference between community-based practices? This kind of artistic research re-image society identifies historical trauma, and bodies are colonized in many different aspects, for example.

In my personal opinion, what can result from connecting deeply within researching with the body, is a better understating of each other, research of justice, how to co-produce knowledge and how to reflect research together, how we experience transferring knowledge.

Video presentation: