ERROR #52 Kristin Orav. On Error in Failure in Contemporary Art

Von Krahl Academy, 05.05.2014

Audio recording coming soon

Photo Hannes Aasamets

I launched a questionnaire-project "Research on Failure" — a survey of contemporary artists from various fields, asking about their experiences of and ideas centering around the concept of failure, by using the contact network of the Center for Art and Urbanistics in Berlin, Germany in addition to my own connections. I borrowed the method of a descriptive domain from sociology, aiming at using qualitative research for analysing dense descriptions. Mt intention was to explore the relation between two variables, the use and understanding of both concepts, that is, the notions of failure and success, but also their synthesis — successful failure in respondents´ creative practice. In total, I received 91 replies from artists from various age groups — rom early 20s to mid 60s, from over 30 nationalities, different disciplines and stages in their artistic careers. A number of respondents found the idea of using failure as a deliberate strategy and the notion of successful failure controversial, describing all three concepts in similar terms.