Emma Cocker, ‘Towards an Attitude of Openness’, key-note presentation at the 12th International Conference on Artistic Research, Society for Artistic Research, Vienna, 07 — 09/04/2021.
Abstract
Drawing on her experience of collaborative artistic research, writer-artist Emma Cocker considers the three attractors — dare, care, share — through the connecting thread of openness. How might artistic research invite and encourage (give courage) towards an attitude or orientation of openness — within the process of enquiry and its sharing; towards others and the world; towards the practice of living and of life? "‘Being open’ has manifold meaning — it can mean (a) not shut or closed; (b) having no protecting or concealing cover; (c) carried on in full view; (d) not closely defended by an opponent; (e) not sealed or tied; (f) having interspersed gaps, spaces, or intervals; (g) accessible; (h) free from limitations, boundaries or restrictions; (i) to speak freely and candidly; (j) to open (one’s) eyes, to become aware of the truth of a situation; (k) willing to consider or deal with something; (l) ready to transact business; (m) not yet decided, subject to further thought; (n) characterised by lack of pretense or reserve, frank; (o) free of prejudice, receptive to new ideas and understanding; (p) generous; (q) in operation, live; (r) to undo, to release from a closed or fastened position; (s) to remove obstructions from, clear; (t) to get (something) going, initiate; (u) to make or force an opening or gap in, to break the continuity of; (v) to make more responsive or understanding; (w) to reveal the secrets of, to bare; (x) to modify (one’s stance); (y) to accelerate; (z) susceptible, vulnerable".1 Explored through the prism of openness, how might the three attractors — dare, care, share — open up conversations on the critical potential of risk, attention and being-with operative within artistic research practice?
1. Extract from 'On Being Left Open' in Emma Cocker, The Yes of the No, (2016), p. 58.