Futures of the Contemporary

Transdisciplinary approaches to the notions of “the contemporary” and “contemporaneity” Futures of the Contemporary explores different notions and manifestations of “the contemporary” in music, visual arts, art theory, and philosophy. In particular, the authors in this collection of essays scrutinise the role of artistic research in critical and creative expressions of contemporaneity. When distinguished from “the contemporaneous” of a given historical time, “the contemporary” becomes a crucial concept, promoting or excluding objects and practices according to their ability to diagnose previously unnoticed aspects of the present. In this sense, the contemporary gains a critical function, involving particular modes of relating to history and one’s own time.

Written by major experts from fields such as music performance, composition, art theory, visual arts, art history, critical studies, and philosophy, this book offers challenging perspectives on contemporary art practices, the temporality of artistic works and phenomena, and new modes of problematising the production of art and its public apprehension.

Contributors: Andrew Prior (University of Plymouth), Babette Babich (Fordham University), Geoff Cox (Fine Art at Plymouth University / Aarhus University), Heiner Goebbels (Justus Liebig University), Jacob Lund (Aarhus University), Michael Schwab (Orpheus Institute), Pal Capdevila (Autonomous University of Barcelona), Paulo de Assis (Orpheus Institute), Peter Osborne (Kingston University London), Ryan Nolan (University of Plymouth), Zsuzsa Baross (Trent University)

This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

"Futures of the Contemporary" was edited by Paulo de Assis and Michael Schwab.

Paulo de Assis is artist researcher (pianist, composer, music philosopher) and research fellow at the Orpheus Institute.

Michael Schwab is the editor-in-chief of the Journal for Artistic Research (JAR).

Yes, "Futures of the Contemporary" is part of the "Orpheus Institute Series" series.

Throughout the Orpheus Institute’s various activities there is a clear focus on the development of a new research discipline in the arts, one that addresses questions and topics that are at the heart of musical practice, building on the unique expertise and perspectives of musicians and in constant dialogue with more established research disciplines.

Within this context, the Orpheus Institute launched an international Research Centre in 2007 that acts as a stable constituent within an ever-growing field of enquiry. The Orpheus Research Centre is a place where musical artists can fruitfully conduct individual and collaborative research on issues that are of concern to all involved in artistic practice. It is important that at the centre of the international Orpheus Institute network is a place, a building, a community. As the concepts and methodologies of artistic research in music have evolved, work at Orpheus Institute has found new structures. Since 2012, research has been consolidated into a number of groups focused on specific areas, each led by a principal investigator of substantial international reputation as a practicing musician. The work of Orpheus Institute is disseminated through events, publications and musical performances, and through its active animation of discussion within the sector.

This series of peer-reviewed publications —launched in 2013— encompasses monographs by Research Fellows and associates of the Orpheus Institute, compilations of lectures, texts, and performances from seminars and study days, and edited volumes on topics arising from work at the institute. Research can be presented in digital media as well as printed texts. As a whole, the series is meant to enhance and advance discourse in the field of artistic research in music and to generate future work in this emerging and vital area of study.

Editorial board

William Brooks (Chair, Series Editor), Peter Dejans, Jonathan Impett, Kathleen Coessens, Paulo de Assis, Heike Vermeire, Ed Crooks, Laura Cull, Aurelie Daems

Proposals

Proposals and enquiries can be sent to the series editor William Brooks.
Please make use of the submission form to present your manuscript or proposal to our board.
Authors interested in Open Access can consult the available funding options.

Links & Resources

Yes, "Futures of the Contemporary" is published Open Access. It is available under a BY-NC-ND license.

INTRODUCTION
Paulo de Assis and Michael Schwab
Part 1: The Contemporary and the Untimely

THE CONTEMPORARY: IN THE MIDST OF MULTIPLE HURRICANES OF TIME Paulo de Assis
ON THE QUESTION OF CONTEMPORANEITY TODAY Zsuzsa Baross
THE QUESTION OF THE CONTEMPORARY IN AGAMBEN, NANCY, DANTO: BETWEEN NIETZSCHE’S ARTIST AND NIETZSCHE’S SPECTATOR Babette Babich
Part 2: Contemporary Practices
ON AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE AS ANACHRONIC EXPERIENCE Heiner Goebbels
THE CRACKLE OF CONTEMPORANEITY Geoff Cox, Andrew Prior, and Ryan Nolan
APORETIC TEMPORALISATIONS AND POSTCONCEPTUAL REALISM Pol Capdevila
Part 3: Problematising the Contemporary
WORKING THE CONTEMPORARY: HISTORY AS A PROJECT OF CRISIS, TODAY Peter Osborne
UNTIMELINESS IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES Jacob Lund
EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEMS: CONTEMPORANEITY, UNTIMELINESS, AND ARTISTIC RESEARCH Michael Schwab
NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS INDEX