The Artist-Researcher as Witness

The research project by Johanna Lecklin focuses on the position of authority of the artist.

Introduction

In her post-doctoral research, Johanna Lecklin focuses on the artist who is conducting research as a witness. The research deepens the themes of ethics and the border of the documentary and the fictional which Lecklin analysed in her doctoral thesis.

Participatory art that engages the audience evokes ethical questions of power relations between the artist and the participant. How can an artist film others, tell their stories or use their contribution in her work, especially if the participant belongs to a minority or an oppressed group? The artist has power and a position of authority in relation to the participants. The research also explores how material produced by deceased persons, such as different kinds of archival material, can be utilised in artworks in an ethical manner.

Project name

The artist-researcher as witness

Time

01/2019-12/2022

Contact

Johanna Lecklin
johanna.lecklin@uniarts.fi