On the seam: Fiction as truth – what can art do?

This article questions the notions of fiction as truth in research and the role that visual art can play in this enquiry. Grounded in the author’s work, in the context of political violence, the article suggests that there are multiple ways of knowing, and the use of art allows for the possibility of exploring that which may be implicit, largely unspoken, and at times not easily accessible. This potential for images to make explicit that which is not yet understood, and the potential for imagination to bridge between the enquiry and the art form, is explored. In addition, the role that art can play at different stages of research is considered – that is, how the arts can inform the research process, how they can enhance information gathering, data collection and the possibilities of data representation