Introduction

Societal challenges are becoming increasingly complex, urgent and interconnected. At the same time, the way knowledge is produced, shared and valued is changing. In this context, there is a growing need for forms of knowledge that not only analyse and explain, but also imagine, question and open up new possibilities.

Artistic research plays a crucial role in this regard. While this role is now widely recognised, the nature of artistic knowledge does not fit easily within existing frameworks, often resulting in unequal ambitions and collaborations. This limits the potential of genuinely transdisciplinary cooperation. Against this background, the Art Route adopts a renewed position: not merely emancipatory, but guiding the future development of knowledge production and transdisciplinary collaboration.

The Art Route envisions a knowledge society in which art, artistic research and design research constitute a fully-fledged and equally valued domain of knowledge. Art is not a supplement to science; it is a fundamental mode of inquiry in its own right, with its own ways of experiencing, knowing, thinking, creating and acting.

In a world characterised by uncertainty, technological acceleration, ecological pressures and social tensions, the strength of the arts lies in their ability to open up new perspectives, make alternative realities perceptible and imaginable, and connect people with one another. Art makes visible what has not yet been named, makes tangible what cannot yet be expressed in language, and generates experiences that are accessible only through art. Consequently, artistic research is not merely descriptive or interpretative; it is also formative, directly and actively shaping how we understand and transform the world.

At a time when technology, ecological disruption and social tensions place humanity under pressure, the question of what it means to be human, who determines this, and which values are embedded within humanity is not self-evident but subject to continuous negotiation. Art, artistic research and design research make this negotiation visible, tangible and open to reconsideration.

Based on this vision, the Art Route works to strengthen and position artistic research as an integral part of the knowledge ecosystem. The route connects artists, researchers and societal partners, creating space for collaboration in which different knowledge practices can meet and reinforce one another.

The Art Route is developing into a strategic hub that not only facilitates but also sets agendas and articulates key issues. It advocates conditions in which artistic research can operate on its own terms: with room for experimentation and process, recognition of diverse forms of knowledge and knowledge production, and a commitment to equality in collaboration. In doing so, the route contributes to a more open, inclusive and future-oriented knowledge ecology.

The renewed direction of the Art Routeis driven by five interconnected game changers that articulate the intrinsic strength of artistic research.

1. Art as a Performative Knowledge Practice in the Age of Algorithmic Knowledge

Algorithms, AI and related technologies increasingly determine what counts as knowledge, who produces it and what value it holds. Art generates knowledge through making, doing, experimenting, embodying and intervening. This knowledge is not only descriptive but also formative, generating experiences, meanings and perspectives that algorithms cannot produce. As a result, our understanding of what it means to be human is also at stake, since concepts such as creativity, knowledge and care are increasingly shaped by systems. This is precisely why art and artistic research, rooted in human values and ways of knowing and creating, constitute an indispensable counterbalance.

2. Art as a Democratic Space for Reflection and a Counterforce to Populism

Populism and polarisation constrain the public imagination rather than opening it. Art does the opposite: it makes power relations, values, ethics and alternatives not only discussable but also tangible. Artistic research contributes to a democratic culture that embraces complexity rather than avoiding it.

3. Art as a Practice for Engaging with Uncertainty and Not-Knowing in an Age of Polycrisis

In an era of polycrisis, where climate transition, migration and technological disruption mutually influence one another, there is a need for knowledge that can accommodate complexity, keep questions open and explore new possibilities instead of offering quick certainties. At a time when pressure to measure and prove is high, art cultivates ambiguity and doubt as methods for generating new insights.

4. Art as Embodied and Material Thinking and Material Agency

Dominant forms of knowledge are linguistic and abstract. Yet care, conflict and ecology cannot be fully captured in such terms. Artistic research connects thinking and doing through materials, bodies and environments. Knowledge emerges within these interactions, rather than merely about them.

5. Art as an Autonomous Knowledge Domain at the Heart of the Knowledge Ecosystem

Artistic research is still too often employed as an illustration or valorisation of insights generated elsewhere. This overlooks what the arts truly are: an autonomous domain of knowledge with its own methods and research questions. the Art Route advocates a knowledge ecosystem in which artistic research can engage with, complement, strengthen and transform other domains as an equal partner. Precisely because art is autonomous, it operates outside the logic of utility, productivity and efficiency.

Impact and Positioning

Based on these principles, the Art Route seeks to strengthen the contribution of artistic research to artistic, societal and scientific questions. This contribution lies not only in developing solutions, but also in opening up new perspectives, shifting frameworks of thought and enabling alternative forms of imagination and action.

Artistic research plays an important role in exploring issues relating to climate, technology, democracy and social justice. It reveals new relationships between humans, technology and ecology and develops alternative ways of engaging with those relationships. In doing so, it also shows how understandings of what humanity means in this era are continuously developed and renegotiated through creative practice.

The impact of art is found not only in tangible outcomes, but also in processes, interactions, transformative experiences and the way it activates public imagination and dialogue.

To strengthen this role, the Art Route pursues a clear position within the broader knowledge landscape. This involves actively building connections with other domains and routes while increasing the visibility and understanding of artistic research. The route also works to improve the conditions under which collaboration takes place, creating space for diverse forms of knowledge and equality among partners.

In this way, the Art Route is developing into a networked and dynamic infrastructure centred on encounter, exchange and shared agenda-setting. Not as an addition to existing structures, but as a movement contributing to a broader transformation of the knowledge ecosystem.

Concluding remarks

Art is not an instrument, but a fundamental human way of knowing, experiencing, thinking, creating, expressing and acting. In a world characterised by complexity and uncertainty, this form of knowledge is indispensable. It enables us not only to understand and represent the world, but also to transform it by imagining alternatives, rethinking established assumptions, and giving shape to new possibilities for the future.

Route management

Michel van Dartel - Research Professor at Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (Caradt) | Avans University of Applied Sciences | figurehead Art route

Wouter Meys - Manager Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (Caradt) | coordinator Art route - Avans University of Applied Sciences

Merel Willemsen - Project advisor Art route

Steering committee

Bregje van Eekelen - Professor of Design, Culture and Society | Technical University Delft

Erik Viskil - Professor Research and Discourse in Artistic Practice | Leiden University

Krien Clevis - Artist-researcher, curator. Lecturer in Artistic Research, researcher at the Research Centre What Art Knows | Zuyd University of Applied Sciences

Lucas Evers - Head of Make Programme & Lead Open Wetlab | Waag

Mieke Bernink - Lecturer Film and Program Director Master's programme; Netherlands Film and Television Academy, Amsterdam

Ruth Timmerrmans - Programmamanager | Regieorgaan SIA

Suzan Tunca - Dance researcher | head of ICK Academy