Artistry & Objecthood
The research line Artistry and Objecthood promotes practice-based and reflective inquiry, approaching art and design through the constitutive dimensions of objecthood: materiality, space, and craftsmanship. In this sense, objecthood refers to artistic practice as one centered on material objects that (re)interpret the spaces they inhabit. The fundamental premise is that objects transform generic spaces into meaningful places.
Prof. Dr. David Huycke and Prof. Dr. Vlad Ionescu advocate for an artistic approach in which designers, artists, and writers view artistic meaning as deeply connected to the material presence of objects in space, the history and practice of craftsmanship, and technical expertise. Their research explores imaginative synergies between art, architecture, and design—broadly understood as practices that cultivate both functional and artistic significance in objects and spaces, choreographic movements, and architectural environments.
The researchers challenge conventional boundaries between applied and fine arts, emphasizing the importance of implicit art within all material culture. Whether materialized as a coffee cup or a piece of jewelry, a sculpture or a choreographed environment, Artistry and Objecthood responds to contemporary cultural challenges that continuously redefine material culture. In this context, Huycke and Ionescu advocate for a meaningful approach that asserts design and artistic processes as concrete solutions to questions of cultural sustainability.
