This paper discusses philosophical framework of practice-based artistic research within the field of art and design in contrast with research in the natural and social science. It is stated that paradigm of artistic inquiry is ilustrated with the role of practicioner as researcher wherein subjectivity, involvement and reflexivity are acknowledged, while (k)nowledge is negotiated – inter-subjective, context bound, and is a result of personal construction. Visual objects have been exhausting large amount of our physical and emotional energy in seeing it which certainly gives them a central role in contemporary ages. It is suggested that research could become part of the needs for experience, to inspire, or to collectively develop a profession. Recently, research as knowledge production has been increasing and gaining its interest within the creative art field. However, there is a foundation which underpins a research, at least some implicit philosophical assumptions of it, which serve as the basis of understanding of reality (ontology), and how to know and justify it (epistemology); and by explicating it, it is believed that scrupulous consideration of it may contribute practical benefits in conducting art and design research. In that regard, this paper presents ontological outlook of Heidegger and also epistemology of art of Merleau-Ponty – which rises within phenomenological tradition – as a philosophical framework which can serve as paradigmatic underpinning of artistic research, in contrast with objectivist approach already identical with research in general.

It is undeniable that modern technology has been penetrating our contemporary life in myriad aspects. From the water we drink, foods we eat, to the installed applications inour phone. Hence modern technology has become one dominating worldview on itsown which skips our reflection upon it. Its rapid growth stems from the dismissal oftradition and simultaneously with the tremendous scientific discoveries with its inherentinstrumental rationality. It actively participates in serving the irrational dimension ofour cybernetics-contemporary life. Thus it is not a neutral ensemble of devices, butnormatively-prescriptive directs our being in achieving our goals mechanically. AsHeidegger said, it enframes our being in the world in a disembodied fashion. Enframing,is the quintessence of modern technology. Merleau-Ponty, as another ardent critic, alsostated that modern technology is essentially manipulative. Under the heading of scientism(and or cybernetics), it anesthetizes humanity as its own manipulandum. Contrastingwith such view, art potentially re-attunes our relation with things. From Merleau-Ponty’sphenomenological perspective, art (especially painting) powerfully shows the prereflectiveand embodied contact with the world. This paper is an attempt to show the roleofart in a life that has been eclipsed by the modern technological worldview.

This research is a reflection, a result from author’s contemplative process, in reading one of the texts written by one of the western philosopher at the end of modernity, Friedrich Nietzsche. The reading itself, mainly, was initially started from Nietzsche’s own writing in a form of excerpts collected in an anthology entitled Self-Interest. This research wishes to show how Nietzsche responds to existing understanding on traditional morality, which to him is no more than a kind of slave morality. Nietzsche, with his own view on morality is basically orbiting to one of his main theses, Will to Power (der Wille zur Macht); other morality related concerns like self and self-interest are also undetachable to this Will to Power. Within the context of traditional morality, thing like self-interest is considered taboo in contrast with altruistic behaviour (self-less behaviour by emphasizing concerns to others). For Nietzsche, this kind of morality is prevailed necessarily because we’re discourageous in facing the arrival of nihilism. From Nietzsche’s perspective, an immoralist, a person with self-interest (within the context of traditional morality) is a ‘moralist’ him/herself. The one who affirms to nihilism, the one who possesses master morality. At the end of this research, the author gives his own response regarding to his reading on Nietzsche and to aim pragmatic value from this research might be impossible. What might be possible is one can aim at achieving different perspectives on morality and self-interest through Nietzsche’s perspective.

ABSTRACT

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