The curatorial épistémè : an epistemological concept analysis on the meaning creating agency in arts

Abstract

This doctoral thesis is an epistemological concept analysis on the meaning creating agencies in arts, i.e. an inquiry of the specific nature of knowledge produced in arts and how it relates to philosophical concepts such as truth, belief, and justification. The analysis is contextualized through the professional practice of a contemporary art curator. With this analytical process two epistemological concepts are formulated: that of curatorial épistémè and of Intellectual Sustainability. By doing so this thesis aims to define the special features and characteristics that constitute as knowledge, within arts, while simultaneously introducing these characteristics to the wider philosophical conversations about knowledge and epistemic practices.

Methodologically, the thesis is founded on the idea that an épistémè defines the conditions of possibility of all knowledge that can be formed and practiced within a frame of reference. Intellectual Sustainability is negotiated as a reciprocal knowledge production between the human and artificial intelligences. Here I outline the human intelligence with Heidegger as poiēsis, remaining as the human potential of Being and employing technē, the artificial intelligence. In order to break free from the constrains of object-oriented theorizations of art, the meaning creating agency is outlined to merge these two in its processes.