Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore artistic research method as an alternative approach to research especially in the socio-political domain. Artistic research is often referred to as a method of research that combines the two domains of arts and academia. Artistic research method celebrates inquiry through studio practice as a form of data processing, thereby providing an alternative approach to research. In this paper, a number of issues relating to the causes and effects of xenophobia in South Africa will be examined. The recurring attacks and anti-immigrant attitudes experienced by foreigners in many South African communities is a reminder that xenophobia is yet to be tackled efficiently. The paper addresses the topic mainly through the production of a body of art works drawn up during the period of the study, hence, making a significant contribution to existing discourse on xenophobia in the country. Exploring artistic research methods, this paper employs objects and pictorial materials associated with the xenophobic violence of 2015 in its art making process, thereby engaging the discourse in a relatively new dimension. Through the metaphoric use of these materials, the article emphasizes the place of artists as social commentators in society with particular reference to the xenophobic domain. The study intends to emphasize how integral artworks are in the research and intellectual domain.This is hoped to be achieved by exploring theories and the interdisciplinary nature associated with this form of research.