Ineffable knowledge : tensions (and solutions) in art-based research representation and dissemination

This article draws upon an art-based health research (ABHR) study that examines the work of health/social science researchers and artists who use a wide variety of art genres to create and disseminate scientific health-based research. The intent of their work is to reduce the knowledge to action gap as well as to enable engagement with the research findings on the part of the target audience. With respect to the use of art genres to disseminate research findings, the representation of the source material often poses a dilemma for both artists and researchers alike, particularly vis-à-vis the extent to which the research is made explicit. We consider here the methodological and epistemological expectations of the ABHR community (both artists and researchers) regarding dissemination of research findings. We detail the tensions experienced in creative teams engaged in ABHR projects when deciding exactly how much information about the research should be provided to the audience and then move on to highlight the strategies identified by our study participants to address these tensions.