Ambiguity tolerance refers to the ability to act in ambiguous situations. This concept, which originates in psychology, will first be introduced by means of a practical exercise.
Ambiguity is an interdisciplinary phenomenon of modernity. We live in a diverse and transcultural, perhaps even hypercultural world, which poses special challenges for us. Cultural diversity, in the positive case, goes hand in hand with cultural ambiguity: Cultural ambiguity means that over a longer period of time different and competing meanings can be assigned to a term or a way of acting. These assignments are at the same time accepted within a group of people. Cultural ambiguity is just one example of ambiguous phenomena in our complex societies. To be able to endure these ambiguities, tolerance of ambiguity is required.
Ambiguity tolerance is understood as a basic competence in democracies and for a complex world. It is a transdisciplinary topic, which is linked to diverse fields for example in Humanities, psychology and also nature sciences.
The fine arts are considered as a field in which ambiguity is highly relevant in terms of content and form. For example, tolerance of ambiguity is necessary as a prerequisite for artistic creativity. Ambiguity is furthermore considered a criterion of contemporary art. In the art theory Umberto Eco is to be mentioned here, who speaks of the so-called "open work".This means that each viewer includes his own experiences in the process of viewing. The work of art becomes complete in its meaning only through the contemplation. In this way, the open work is able to reflect our discontinuous world.
Moreover, I do not only assume that ambiguity tolerance is a necessary precondition and ambiguity an essential element of art, but the visual arts can contribute to the promotion of tolerance of ambiguity.
Last semester, my students and I developed online several experiments on ambiguity and the tolerance towards it in the field of art education. Some of these approaches I would like to try out with you directly in this communication. First, we will deal with existing artistic works that seem to offer a high ambiguous potential. Then, we will also become artistically active ourselves – in the interpretative drawing of ambiguous works or in performative engagement with the topic. The research ist approach is a theoretical practical one.
Finally, I would like to share with you reflections on how tolerance of ambiguity can lead to a better design ability. In this case, the creative ability does not only mean the concrete artistic ability, but also an abstract ability to shape society. How can we encounter ambiguous phenomena in our society and deal with them creatively?