Reconciling experimentum and experientia : ontology for reflective practice research in new media

For researchers working at the nexus of the techno-scientific and the artistic, recent ontological theory that redefines the virtual condition is useful. This meta-theory is coupled with Pickering’s notion of temporally emergent practice as a “dance of agency”, where experimental goals are tuned to accommodate experience. Philosophical groundwork to underpin a hybrid methodology appropriate for practice-based new media research is outlined. It is suggested that the author’s own research presents a fractal of this more generic concern.