José Alberto Gomes: "Art can and should be understood as a form of knowledge creation"

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Art is "the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, especially in the production of aesthetic objects". This light and superficial approach emphasises the importance of intention and skill in artistic creation, as well as the goal of producing something that is aesthetically appealing. However, art goes far beyond the mere production of aesthetic objects.

Moving a little further beyond this first layer, Marilina Maraviglia proposed that Art, which encompasses a wide variety of human activities, is often considered as a process or product of deliberately and consciously organising elements that appeal to the senses or emotions. But above all, and what interests us most for this very short essay, she tells us that it plays a crucial role in culture: It reflects the identity, economic, social and philosophical substrates of a society; it transmits and works on ideas and values that are inherent to each culture, serving as a means of communication and expression that crosses time and space; it plays a vital role in culture through the transmission, creation and questioning of ideas and values throughout history.

It is precisely on this path that we find the complexity, interest and beauty of what art is. For me, art has played a very interesting role in human history. Artistic expression is present in the most diverse cultures and is one of the activities that, even in the face of its mutations, is constant and transversal. However, the most extraordinary thing is the strange and fragile balance that is inherent in it.

Always present, but always elusive. Everyone has an opinion (better or worse, positive or negative) about the essence of Art, but giving it a definition is practically impossible. The concept is essentially elusive. By the time we define it, it's already out of date. However, this does not, and has not, prevented Art from being permanently present with the function of "serving no purpose" other than being Art, but at the same time carrying the weight of the human condition. Creation for creation's sake.

For this reason and much more, from an epistemological point of view, art can, and in my opinion should be understood as a form of knowledge creation. It offers a unique and valuable insight into the nature of reality and, as such, the condition of human existence.

José Alberto Gomes

Professor at the School of Arts of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Integrated Researcher at CITAR - Research Center For Science And Technology Of The Arts