Our objectives
Our primary activity takes the form of regular seminars. During these sessions, we present our current projects and discuss artistic, research, and, most importantly, methodological issues. The questions guiding our discussions fall into four main thematic areas:
- Subject of Research — While our specific questions differ, we are fundamentally interested in how the research subject (the topic of our work) comes into being. We view this subject as an encounter that gradually crystallizes into something tangible, though not necessarily a physical object. The decisions and actions taken during this process are what truly matter.
- Methods — Artistic research offers an excellent space for contemplating research methodologies in general. Given that art has functioned under post-media (and arguably post-artistic) conditions since the 1960s, it is natural to view research practices as non-disciplinary. However, we must remember that Paul Feyerabend's famous quote, "anything goes", does not imply absolute freedom. Quite the opposite: developing unique methods requires grounding them in a specific practice, situating them within a defined context, and taking accountability for the tools employed. Furthermore, it is crucial to find ways to integrate them with other practices.
- Collaboration — Considering the complexity of the modern world, even a highly competent individual has limitations. Consequently, we require co-creative communities where we can pool our skills, complement each other's work, and engage in mutual learning. While this form of collaboration can be challenging, demanding constant negotiation of language, meaning, and methods, it is precisely from these encounters that practice-based research emerges.
- Forms of Mediation — This represents one of the most critical, yet frequently neglected, issues in modern research. Growing specialization and the increasingly dense, specialized language used across various disciplines make research inaccessible to those outside the field. Concurrently, the academic emphasis on "novelty" and continuous output within the neoliberal system generates a vast volume of knowledge that can be repetitive and is often primarily consumed by artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This leads us to ask: How can we ensure the knowledge we produce genuinely benefits society and successfully bridges the gap between those who hold it and those with limited access? We recognize that Open Access is only part of the solution.