Arts-based-philosophy is an emerging research concept at the cutting edge of the arts, philosophy and
the Sciences, in which cross-disciplinary research collectives align their practices to finally stage their
research in field-performances, shared with the public.
Our research aims to explore the significance of the *heart* (intuitive reason) for artistic research and
performance philosophy from a cross-cultural perspective. The investigations are based on the concepts
of the *heart* in the works of two artist-philosophers, who gave us a delicate taste of what art-based-
philosophy could be, once art and philosophy cross their potentials: Nietzsches Thus Spoke Zarathustra
and Aurobindos poetic opus magnum Savitri.
Our artistic research methods will include the following research formats: art-labs, a notebook, a mobile
heart-lab and 12 field-performances, in which the voices of contemporary Physics, Cardiology, South-
Asian-Studies, Nietzsche-Studies and the arts will be staged on two research festivals Philosophy On
Stage#6-#7 in Vienna (BRUT Wien) and in India (ADHISHAKTI Laboratory for Theatre Art Research and
SVARAM Music Research). The format *field-performance* has been developed by Böhler (PI) and
Granzer over the last 25 years as an innovative method to stage philosophical questions in cross-
disciplinary manner in touch with the public.
What is new in the conception of the *heart* in Nietzsche and Aurobindo is their common claim, that a
*heart* implies a virtual plane of possibilities. *Hearts* are drawn toward a future to come which make
them attractors of possibilities, ready to matter. In its deepest depth, a *heart* cares for the event of a
future that has not yet mattered by creating a taste (bodily-felt-sense) that allows one to feel the
possibility of a future, right before it actually does matter, flash and collapse. Such concepts show striking
similarities with contemporary concepts in philosophy-physics, e.g. the concepts of virtual particles and
quantum vacuum fluctuations (Barad, Traxler).
It is telling, that in Indian philosophy and aesthetics an aesthete is called sah<U+1E5B>dayaa term, which literally
means somebody, with a heart. As if an aesthete would be a person that is defined by thinking in
alignment with his/her *heart* and not against his/her *heart*.
Arno Böhler (PI, artist-philosopher) and our core Artistic Research Ensemble (cARE): Aurelio (SVARAM),
Patrick Beldio (South-Asian-Studies), Jyoti Dogra (Performer), Nikolaus Gansterer (Painter), Susanne V.
Granzer (Actress), Florian Reiners (Actor/Speech trainer), Sabina Holzer (Dancer), Johannes Kretz
(Musician), Stefan Dobner (Cardiologist), Tanja Traxler (Quantum Physicist), Yunus Tuncel (Nietzsche
Scholar), Evi Jägle (PhD), Christoph Müller (PhD).
Co-operating institutions: University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (ARC-mdw), Adishakti Theatre
Research (India), Svaram Musical Instruments and Research (India), BRUT WIEN, Volkstheater Wien,
University of Vienna.