Artist Piibe Piirma ‘s doctoral defense about hybrid practices of art and research was successful

On November 18th, artist Piibe Piirma successfully defended her doctoral thesis at the Estonian Academy of Arts. According to her opponent, dr Rasa Smite the quality of her thesis as well as the scope and results thereof applied to the highest standards of doctoral level research:
“More then focusing on art in narrow sense, Piirma is willing to put an emphases on emerging diversity or artscience practices and its potential in creation of new knowledge,” adds dr Smite.

Piibe Piirma’s PhD dissertation is an art-based research, that is focusing on her artistic experience by collaborating different Science labs in Estonia and explores hybrid art and theories of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary art forms, bioart and citizen science.
Piirma’s dissertation is mainly based on her personal new media art practice and curatorial work (2012–2015). Her theoretical study deals with a variety of hybrid art forms, art&science collaborations of Estonian and internationally known artists, and inter- and transdisciplinary studies of in general. Piibe Piirma’s art-based research consists the analyses of her solo exhibitions “Hybrid Practices”, “Hybrid Practice – from General to Specific” and curatorial work of the international exhibition “Rhizope” and related conference “Art and Science – Hybrid Art and Interdisciplinary Research” (EAA 2014).

The objective of Piibe Piirma’s dissertation is to utilise theoretical and practical approaches to seek answers to questions pertaining to co-functioning of different disciplines (art and science). The term is used in this dissertation for artwork in which the two of them, art and science, meet is “hybrid art”. Although new and exciting directions far exceed the established genre definitions and evaluation criteria permit, she holds that the phrase “hybrid art” is the best characterisation of artwork that transcends the boundaries of different and at ostensibly incompatible disciplines. How science impacts art or vice versa becomes clearer through practical examples of art and collective initiatives, which are described in the various chapters and sections of this dissertation.
The defense event will be in English. 


Please find the PhD thesis from the Academic Library of EAA (Estonia pst 7, III floor) and HERE
Additional info: www.piibepiirma.com