Imersiveness as the Twenty-First-Century Art Strategy (Analysis of Theatre Experience and Its Philosophical Bases)

The purpose of the article is to reveal the polysemantic concept of immersiveness; to analyse the existing immersive experience of contemporary theatrical art providing the art strategies; to define and work out the theoretical and methodological basics for immersiveness as a new concept in contemporary aesthetics, philosophy of art and philosophy of culture. The research methodology was formed by empirical methods (observation, comparison, monitoring) and theoretical research (interdisciplinary analysis, concretisation, abductive inference). Conclusions. Based on a combination of empirical and theoretical methods, the transformation potential of immersive practices was analysed. A broader explication of such concepts as immersiveness, immersive practices, the immersive theatre was given. Theoretical basis of research of cultural-philosophical foundations of immersiveness was established. It was found that immersiveness is a way of perception that determines the change in consciousness. An immersive experience is both symbolic and physical. It is actively used by contemporary theatre (both immersive and academic), which implements the human’s need to return to self-absorption, sensuality, corporeality, asserting oneself as a special and moral human being. Based on methodological reflections of contemporary philosophy, the theoretical foundations of cognition of immersive experience are analysed by studying the ideas of E. Bern, J. Baudrillard, J. Huizinga, G. Deleuze, J. Derrida, J. Lacan, M. Merleau-Ponty, the productivity of involvement of philosophical reflections of ritual (game), and the religious experience was demonstrated. The authors reveal the conceptual meanings of immersive practices, which form the basis for the development of a holistic approach to understanding human identity, the reproduction of reality in new forms of intelligence, feelings and creativity in the context of pluralistic reality. The development of a holistic approach to understanding human identity through immersive experience contributes to the profound transformations of the individual’s creative potential. The formation of a special attitude to life based on openness, immersion, intersubjectivity and corporality with the involvement of the experience of immersive practices has been studied.