Some reflections on numbers

5240 words a visual representation –

Despite changes to criteria publication to included creative practice outputs in the south African academic context. Both criteria for promotion and credibility of research to stem primarily from written form. The number of words in essays, or the number of times an paper has been cited remain critical metrics for academic achievement, and ultimately promotion. Over quality of the work or non written forms of knowledge generation. Here I am thinking of knowledge centered in the art object, but also knowledge of instruments and their relation to movement, the knowledge of movements such as dance, ballet and theater. the use of the body as reverberation instrument such as in opera, knowledge of earth, of making contained in the relationship between body and material. The use of techniques in painting, and working with mediums such as light. That which is to a large extent intangible.

While I agree that many of these can also be discussed in writing, their purist expression is best understood, by the body. Through the senses, while we may describe the encounter, and include film / image of the work. These knowledge moments, are truly fleeting moments. For their knowledge to be, captured, critiqued and harnessed towards the production of new knowledge, there must be spaces which exist for gathering that knowledge. So that it can be referenced, cited and considered.

There remain few platforms, today which gather a suppository of artworks, by practitioners outside the main stream of art institutions. Whose primary aim is to gather artwork, sketchbooks, and the stuff of art making in a way that would make it cite-able, limiting the impact the knowledge contained within art objects, films, recordings, and designs and the like – along with their supporting documents, art statements, or refection. Meaning art knowledge remains centralized in the hands of the very few, who ultimately decided what art is relevant. Subsequently what art conversations matter.

In South Africa today, one of the largest collection of African art, remains under-threat primarily due to mismanagement by city officials. While curatorial and conservatory staff alike, tripped of funding, for research, and conservation, and public display, is truly devastating story of 21st century knowledge erasure. Perhaps the greater threat being its potential removal from public access, into the vaults of private art institutions and the wealthy benefactors. Where its impact would be limited.

What is to be done, to preserve such knowledge forms in a world, where even the foundations of written knowledge appear to be crumbling in the hands of AI, which evaluates relevance of knowledge only on, clicks, and re-posts. Generating doom spirals of junk knowledge, which proliferates of actual factual information.

Brigs