Transdisciplinary Research, Teaching and Innovation at De Montfort University
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Invitation to the Soft Launch of the TDC - Tuesday 13 December 2011 from 11am-1pm
All DMU staff are cordially invited to the Soft Launch of the DMU Transdisciplinary Common Room (TDC)Date: 11am-1pm Tuesday 13 December 2011
Location: The TDC is in the former GP surgery in Fletcher Quad.
The Transdisciplinary Common Room is a work-in-progress which aims to provide a relaxed and congenial space for transdisciplinary conversations. We are working together to transform it from a rather battered doctors’ surgery to a comfortable and inspirational environment where creativity and innovation will thrive. It’s up to us to shape it the way we want. Or, as in the immortal words of Howard Rheingold: ‘what it is >>> is up to us’.
Join us for sherry and mince pies to find out more about what the TDC can do for you and, of equal importance, what you can contribute to make it a success.
If you can’t make it on the day but would like more details, you can:
- add the TDC to your staff card
- join the email list
- contact one of the individuals listed below.
Partners
The TDC is supported by sponsorship from Sleepydog media company and HEIF and managed by the cross-faculty Transdisciplinary Group Committee. Our partners are the IOCT, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
Management
The TDC is managed by a cross-faculty committee comprising:
The TDC is supported by sponsorship from Sleepydog media company and HEIF and managed by the cross-faculty Transdisciplinary Group Committee. Our partners are the IOCT, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
Management
The TDC is managed by a cross-faculty committee comprising:
- Dr Graham Basten (HLS)
- Dr Kumba Jallow (B&L)
- Dr Kate Irvine (TECH)
- Toby Moores (Sleepydog)
- Prof Martin Rieser (IOCT/ADH)
- Prof Sue Thomas (IOCT/ADH)
- Administrator: Marie-Claire Dalmar (ADH)
Thursday, 24 November 2011
e-motion
A new five year study into the Transdisciplinary process:
The Entanglement of Arts and Sciences
On the Transaction Costs of Transdisciplinary Research Settings
Since the 1970s, there has been a growing interest in the collaboration between artists and scientists, which has been fostered by the field of art and technology (see e.g. Harris 1999; Wilson 2003). One of the pioneer journals dedicated to this field is ‘Leonardo’ (MIT Press), which still today encourages a discourse between practitioners in art, science and technology. Programs such as Artist in Labs have been founded to bring artists and scientific laboratories together, in order to artistically reflect on the implications of scientific research on society, as well as to make artistic innovation potential useable for the generating of scientific knowledge. [3] Likewise, publications that examine the relation between scientific research processes and artistic work processes in diverse ways include Laboratorium (Obrist/Vanderlinden 2001), Bridge the Gap (Obrist/Akiko 2002), Art + Science Now (Wilson 2010) and Kunstforschung als ästhetische Wissenschaft (Tröndle/Warmers 2011), to name only a few. In the last few years, also under the heading ‘Artistic Research’, new modes of interaction and cooperation between art and science have been tested (see e.g. Bippus 2009; Rey/Schöbi 2009; Caduff et al. 2010; Borgdorff 2011 provides an overview; a historical perspective is provided by Böhme 2011). In addition to the further development of a research-based art practice, this has involved transferring different approaches from the domain of creativity and design research to scientific research (Michel 2007; Bühlmann/Wiedmer 2009; Mareis 2011).
Key questions associated with all of the aforementioned projects and publications are:
How can artistic and scientific pursuits be combined successfully?
What is the additional value of such a procedure?
What difficulties does one thereby encounter?
See:http://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/12219/12220
for the full article
The Entanglement of Arts and Sciences
On the Transaction Costs of Transdisciplinary Research Settings
Since the 1970s, there has been a growing interest in the collaboration between artists and scientists, which has been fostered by the field of art and technology (see e.g. Harris 1999; Wilson 2003). One of the pioneer journals dedicated to this field is ‘Leonardo’ (MIT Press), which still today encourages a discourse between practitioners in art, science and technology. Programs such as Artist in Labs have been founded to bring artists and scientific laboratories together, in order to artistically reflect on the implications of scientific research on society, as well as to make artistic innovation potential useable for the generating of scientific knowledge. [3] Likewise, publications that examine the relation between scientific research processes and artistic work processes in diverse ways include Laboratorium (Obrist/Vanderlinden 2001), Bridge the Gap (Obrist/Akiko 2002), Art + Science Now (Wilson 2010) and Kunstforschung als ästhetische Wissenschaft (Tröndle/Warmers 2011), to name only a few. In the last few years, also under the heading ‘Artistic Research’, new modes of interaction and cooperation between art and science have been tested (see e.g. Bippus 2009; Rey/Schöbi 2009; Caduff et al. 2010; Borgdorff 2011 provides an overview; a historical perspective is provided by Böhme 2011). In addition to the further development of a research-based art practice, this has involved transferring different approaches from the domain of creativity and design research to scientific research (Michel 2007; Bühlmann/Wiedmer 2009; Mareis 2011).
Key questions associated with all of the aforementioned projects and publications are:
How can artistic and scientific pursuits be combined successfully?
What is the additional value of such a procedure?
What difficulties does one thereby encounter?
See:http://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/12219/12220
for the full article
Monday, 7 November 2011
Call for Papers: Theory and Method of Interdisciplinarity.
Interdisciplinarity has in recent years become a critical aspect of academic papers in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as the Natural Sciences. By providing methods and theories that cross disciplinary boundaries, interdisciplinarity builds bridges between academic silos, creating new knowledge, theoretical discourse and praxis in the process.(Tress, Tress and Fry 2006) In academic discourse, interdisciplinarity typically applies to the realms of knowledge, research, education/pedagogy, and theory. (Nissani, 1995) We are creating an edited volume that critically engages theories, methods and praxis of interdisciplinary scholarship through the lens of these four realms.
We are accepting submissions for papers (7,000 to 12,000 words, or 45,000 to 75,000 characters with spaces) investigating recent advances in interdisciplinary theory, method and praxis that critically engages the interdisciplinary realms of knowledge, research, education/pedagogy and theory. We are especially interested in potential contributors from any field in the humanities or social sciences that brings together distinctive components of two or more disciplines presenting innovative interdisciplinary case studies, pedagogy, best practices and/or original critiques of interdisciplinarity. Submissions from the natural sciences may be accepted so long as theoretical, methodological or critical links are made with humanities and/or social sciences.
Texts accepted for publication will be published in a peer reviewed, collective and bilingual work (English/French) in the “Human Sciences Monograph Series” (www.hsms.laurentian.ca). Papers may be submitted by email in either English or French to Dr. Christopher J. Duncanson-Hales (cduncansonhales@trentu.ca). The submission deadline is June 30th, 2012, with publication planned for 2013. This project is an initiative of Laurentian University’s International Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in the Human Sciences (www.icirhs.laurentian.ca).
Interdisciplinarity has in recent years become a critical aspect of academic papers in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as the Natural Sciences. By providing methods and theories that cross disciplinary boundaries, interdisciplinarity builds bridges between academic silos, creating new knowledge, theoretical discourse and praxis in the process.(Tress, Tress and Fry 2006) In academic discourse, interdisciplinarity typically applies to the realms of knowledge, research, education/pedagogy, and theory. (Nissani, 1995) We are creating an edited volume that critically engages theories, methods and praxis of interdisciplinary scholarship through the lens of these four realms.
We are accepting submissions for papers (7,000 to 12,000 words, or 45,000 to 75,000 characters with spaces) investigating recent advances in interdisciplinary theory, method and praxis that critically engages the interdisciplinary realms of knowledge, research, education/pedagogy and theory. We are especially interested in potential contributors from any field in the humanities or social sciences that brings together distinctive components of two or more disciplines presenting innovative interdisciplinary case studies, pedagogy, best practices and/or original critiques of interdisciplinarity. Submissions from the natural sciences may be accepted so long as theoretical, methodological or critical links are made with humanities and/or social sciences.
Texts accepted for publication will be published in a peer reviewed, collective and bilingual work (English/French) in the “Human Sciences Monograph Series” (www.hsms.laurentian.ca). Papers may be submitted by email in either English or French to Dr. Christopher J. Duncanson-Hales (cduncansonhales@trentu.ca). The submission deadline is June 30th, 2012, with publication planned for 2013. This project is an initiative of Laurentian University’s International Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in the Human Sciences (www.icirhs.laurentian.ca).
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
TDC (Transdisciplinary Common Room)
Soft Launch w/c 12th December 2011. Date to be announced.
Location
The Common Room is in the former GP surgery in Fletcher Quad.
The Transdisciplinary Common Room provides a relaxed and congenial space for transdisciplinary conversations. Every day from 12pm-2pm there will be drop-in Brown Bag Sessions when we might watch and discuss a short TED or RSA video together, or just talk about issues of interest. Bring your sandwiches and enjoy an informal but stimulating lunch break. There will also be occasional afternoon or evening workshops and seminars, but most of the time the Common Room will simply be open for members to meet, chat, work, read or plan projects.
This academic year 2011-12 we will:
- · conduct an audit of transdisciplinary working at DMU
- · create an active network of transdisciplinary researchers, their external collaborators, and other stake-holders
- · offer a programme of events and activities, some organised in partnership with the RSA (Royal Society of Arts) and the LLEP (Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership).
- We also aim to produce at least one peer-reviewed journal paper and to help colleagues generate transdisciplinary funding applications.
Membership
Membership is free and open to all DMU staff members and nominated post-graduate students. Use your keycard to access. Guest memberships are also currently free and available to nominated representatives of the RSA, the LLEP, and the guests of DMU staff.
Partners
The Common Room is supported by sponsorship from Sleepydog media company and HEIF and managed by the cross-faculty Transdisciplinary Group Committee. External partners are the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
Stay informed
Contact
- Dr Graham Basten (HLS) gbasten@dmu.ac.uk
- Dr Kumba Jallow (B&L) kjallow@dmu.ac.uk
- Prof Bob John (Tech) rij@dmu.ac.uk
- Prof Martin Rieser (ADH/IOCT) mrieser@dmu.ac.uk
- Prof Sue Thomas (ADH/IOCT) sue.thomas@dmu.ac.uk
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE E-SOCIETY 2012
IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE E-SOCIETY 2012
March 10-13, 2012 – Berlin, Germany
Conference Background and Goals
The
IADIS e-Society 2012 conference aims to address the main issues of
concern within the Information Society. This conference covers both the
technical as well as the non-technical aspects of the Information
Society. Broad areas of interest are eSociety and Digital Divide, eBusiness
/ eCommerce, eLearning, New Media and E-Society, Digital Services in
eESociety, eGovernment /eGovernance, eHealth, Information Systems, and
Information Management. These broad areas are divided into more
detailed areas (see below). However innovative contributes that don't
fit into these areas will also be considered since they might be of
benefit to conference attendees.
Format of the Conference
The conference will comprise of invited talks and oral presentations. The proceedings of the conference will be published in the form of a book and CD-ROM with ISBN, and will be available also in the IADIS Digital Library (online accessible). The best paper authors will be invited to publish extended versions of their papers in the IADIS Journal on WWW/Internet (ISSN: 1645-7641) and other selected Journals.
The conference will comprise of invited talks and oral presentations. The proceedings of the conference will be published in the form of a book and CD-ROM with ISBN, and will be available also in the IADIS Digital Library (online accessible). The best paper authors will be invited to publish extended versions of their papers in the IADIS Journal on WWW/Internet (ISSN: 1645-7641) and other selected Journals.
Types of submissions
Full and Short Papers, Reflection Papers, Posters/Demonstrations, Tutorials, Panels and Doctoral Consortium. All submissions are subject to a blind refereeing process.
Full and Short Papers, Reflection Papers, Posters/Demonstrations, Tutorials, Panels and Doctoral Consortium. All submissions are subject to a blind refereeing process.
Topics related to the Information Society are of interest. These
include, but are not limited to the following areas and topics:
«« eSociety and Digital Divide »»
Connectivity
may imply social coherence and integration. The opposite may result as
well, when systematic measures are taken to exclude certain individuals
or certain groups. Papers are welcomed on the next keywords:
• Social Integration
• Social Bookmarking
• Social Software
• E-Democracy
• Social Integration
«« eBusiness / eCommerce »»
May include issues relating to:
• Business Ontologies and Models
• Digital Goods and Services
• eBusiness Models
• eCommerce Application Fields
• eCommerce Economics
• eCommerce Services
• Electronic Service Delivery
• eMarketing
• Languages for Describing Goods and Services
• Online Auctions and Technologies
• Virtual Organisations and Teleworking
«« eLearning »»
May include issues relating to:
• Collaborative Learning
• Curriculum Content Design & Development
• Delivery Systems and Environments
• Educational Systems Design
. E-Citizenship and Inclusion
• eLearning Organisational Issues
• Evaluation and Assessment
. Political and Social Aspects
• Virtual Learning Environments and Issues
• Web-based Learning Communities
«« New Media and E-Society »»
May include issues relating to:
• Digitization, heterogeneity and convergence
• Interactivity and virtuality
• Citizenship, regulation and heterarchy
• Innovation, identity and the global village syndrome
• Internet Cultures and new interpretations of “Space”
• Polity and the Digitally Suppressed
«« Digital Services in E-Society »»
May include issues relating to:
• Service Broadcasting
• Political Reporting
• Development of Digital Services
• Freedom of Expression
• E-Journalism
• Open Access
«« eGovernment /eGovernance »»
May include issues relating to:
• Accessibility
• Democracy and the Citizen
• Digital Economies
• Digital Regions
• eAdministration
• eGovernment Management
• eProcurement
• Global Trends
• National and International Economies
• Social Inclusion
«« eHealth »»
May include issues relating to:
• Data Security Issues
• eHealth Policy and Practice
• eHealthcare Strategies and Provision
• Legal Issues
• Medical Research Ethics
• Patient Privacy and Confidentiality
«« Information Systems »»
May include issues relating to:
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
• Intelligent Agents
• Intelligent Systems
• IS Security Issues
• Mobile Applications
• Multimedia Applications
• Payment Systems
• Protocols and Standards
• Software Requirements and IS Architectures
• Storage Issues
• Strategies and Tendencies
• System Architectures
• Telework Technologies
• Ubiquitous Computing
• Virtual Reality
• Wireless Communications
«« Information Management »»
May include issues relating to:
• Computer-Mediated Communication
• Content Development
• Cyber law and Intellectual Property
• Data Mining
• ePublishing and Digital Libraries
• Human Computer Interaction
• Information Search and Retrieval
• Knowledge Management
• Policy Issues
• Privacy Issues
• Social and Organizational Aspects
• Virtual Communities
• XML and Other Extensible Languages
* Important Dates:
- Submission deadline: 28 October 2011
- Submission deadline: 28 October 2011
- Notification to Authors: 28 November 2011
- Final Camera-Ready Submission and Early Registration: Until 19 December 2011
- Late Registration: After 19 December 2011
- Conference: Berlin, Germany, 10 to 13 March 2012
Conference Location
The conference will be held in Berlin, Germany.
Secretariat
IADIS Secretariat - IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE E-SOCIETY 2012
Rua Sao Sebastiao da Pedreira, 100, 3
1050-209 Lisbon, Portugal
E-mail: secretariat@esociety-conf.org/
Web site: http://www.esociety-conf.org/
Program Committee
Program Chair
Program Chair
Piet Kommers, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Conference Chair
Pedro Isaías, Universidade Aberta (Portuguese Open University), Portugal
Committee Members:*
for committee list please refer to http://www.esociety-conf.org/
Co-located events
Please also check the co-located events:
Information Systems 2012 (http://www.is-conf.org/) - 10-12 March 2012
Mobile Learning 2012 (http://www.mlearning-conf.
*
Registered participants in the e-Society conference may attend
Information Systems and Mobile Learning conferences’ sessions free of
charge.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Understanding Interdisciplinarity: Theory and Methods
Understanding Interdisciplinarity: Theory and Methods -
An International Conference
June 12th to the 14th 2012
Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
Supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded interdisciplinary “Engineering For Life” (EFL) project at Sheffield Hallam University (http://research.shu.ac.uk/
The aim of the meeting is to bring together researchers that engaged in interdisciplinary projects and those researchers seeking to understand the processes that lead to successful cross-disciplinary collaborations.
The meeting will both showcase high quality research that has emerged from interdisciplinary collaborations and contributions from leading researchers on the theory and practice of interdisciplinary research. Active dialogue will be promoted between the two communities to create increased awareness and understanding of the processes in which they are mutually engaged.
From this understanding, it is hoped to elucidate more clearly the difficulties which are often experienced and the ways in which these can be overcome. Interdisciplinary research can potentially open up important and exciting new fields of research; the meeting aims to identify the approaches which will yield the greatest chance of success in such projects.
Interdisciplinarity, the combining of two or more fields of study or research in one project, activity, or a new discipline – has become a major approach to contemporary ‘grand challenges’. This is reflected in the academic discussion of the term – and related concepts of multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity – as well as the assertion that
interdisciplinarity is key to solving contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges.
What then are interdicipinarity, multidisciplinarity and trasndisciplinarity? How are they articulated in the practical actions of projects and in the discourses around them? How are such projects conceived, developed, managed and evaluated? What are the theoretical and practical challenges inherent to such joint working across disciplines? What are effective strategies for running interdisciplinary teams, projects and programmes?
The conference seeks papers which address the theory and methods that underpin interdisciplinary working and those which provide case studies of actual practices and outcomes from projects.
Closing date for abstracts for the conference is 31st of January 2012
Please email abstracts to Charlotte Lester (Engineering for Life Project Administrator) at charlotte.lester@shu.ac.uk
An International Conference
June 12th to the 14th 2012
Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.
Supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded interdisciplinary “Engineering For Life” (EFL) project at Sheffield Hallam University (http://research.shu.ac.uk/
The aim of the meeting is to bring together researchers that engaged in interdisciplinary projects and those researchers seeking to understand the processes that lead to successful cross-disciplinary collaborations.
The meeting will both showcase high quality research that has emerged from interdisciplinary collaborations and contributions from leading researchers on the theory and practice of interdisciplinary research. Active dialogue will be promoted between the two communities to create increased awareness and understanding of the processes in which they are mutually engaged.
From this understanding, it is hoped to elucidate more clearly the difficulties which are often experienced and the ways in which these can be overcome. Interdisciplinary research can potentially open up important and exciting new fields of research; the meeting aims to identify the approaches which will yield the greatest chance of success in such projects.
Interdisciplinarity, the combining of two or more fields of study or research in one project, activity, or a new discipline – has become a major approach to contemporary ‘grand challenges’. This is reflected in the academic discussion of the term – and related concepts of multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity – as well as the assertion that
interdisciplinarity is key to solving contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges.
What then are interdicipinarity, multidisciplinarity and trasndisciplinarity? How are they articulated in the practical actions of projects and in the discourses around them? How are such projects conceived, developed, managed and evaluated? What are the theoretical and practical challenges inherent to such joint working across disciplines? What are effective strategies for running interdisciplinary teams, projects and programmes?
The conference seeks papers which address the theory and methods that underpin interdisciplinary working and those which provide case studies of actual practices and outcomes from projects.
Closing date for abstracts for the conference is 31st of January 2012
Please email abstracts to Charlotte Lester (Engineering for Life Project Administrator) at charlotte.lester@shu.ac.uk
Thursday, 6 October 2011
New Transdisciplinary Centre: The TDC
The centre will have a soft launch in early December and the DMU Transdisciplinary Group committee is working hard to get it furnished and ready for then. More news will follow as we progress the project.
It is primarily intended as a hub for trans-disciplinary university staff and researchers and will host a number of activities including: A speaker programme, a workshop programme, screenings of TED/RSA films, wall wikis, coffee mornings and published drop-in times for participants.
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Consciousness Reframed-Extended call
CALL FOR PAPERSEXTENDED DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT |
Monday, 27 June 2011
TD Group Stroll 28 June 2011
The last TD Group meeting this academic year will take the form of a conversational stroll along the river bank and back through the park this Tuesday 28th . At 2pm we will leave the Campus Centre steps on the corner of Gateway Street and Mill Lane, and walk down Mill Lane to the canal. We'll return to the Campus Centre along Gateway St, The walk takes roughly half an hour depending on rate of dawdling. I’ve made a map to explain (please excuse my poor map-drawing skills)
If the weather is bad, we will meet in Queens 0.17. We look forward to seeing you and hopefully the sun will shine!
If the weather is bad, we will meet in Queens 0.17. We look forward to seeing you and hopefully the sun will shine!
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Transmediale: Vilém Flusser Residency Programme
Vilém Flusser Residency Programme
http://www.transmediale.de/award/vilem-flusser-award
transmediale Award RIP! For the 2012 festival there will be no general transmediale Award and also no Open Web Award. Instead, we are opting for tight curatorial coherence in the programming as well as more community engagement outside of the festival. Related to these changes we are transforming the Vilém Flusser Theory Award into a Residency Programme for artistic research.CALL FOR ENTRY
Submission Deadline: August 31, 2011
For Vilém Flusser theory and praxis are intrinsically tied to each other. His nomadic thinking was shaped by a philosophy of positions, experimental testing of different ways of thinking and the linking of different disciplines and methodologies played a significant role for him. Not the search for the truth but rather the playing around with the aesthetic constitution of truth characterised his thinking, often developed in dialogue with others. A fundamental principle of his philosophy is the dialogue between the disciplines, points of view and methodologies. Knowledge production as a dialogue between different standpoints, such as between science and art, laboratory and applied research, old and new media, local and global forms of organisation, is therefore the guiding principle for the concept of artistic research, which the Vilém Flusser Residency Programme supports.
In the current times of the crisis of revolutionary movements, artistic research is not only a dialogue between theory and praxis. The work within in-between spaces and moments of transitions is necessary in order to make the complex structures of today's networked culture comprehensible.
We are calling upon artistic research to actively explore the capabilities and limitations of transdisciplinary and transmedial situations in contemporary culture and thus to understand artistic research as exploring the links between aesthetics, materiality and politics.
The newly organised Vilém Flusser Residency Programme supports projects and activities which are simultaneously conceptual and practice-based. The programme is geared towards the initiation of new research or to the further development of existing projects. This is not a production grant and while a public presentation/event will be expected, there is no pressure to present finished works. Where applicable, the support of publications, exhibitions, interventions and other results of the residency may be negotiated on a project to project basis. Special priority will be given to young and/or emerging artist-researchers.
Monday, 30 May 2011
Transdisciplinary Arts
The article below is reproduced from the Huffington Post. The app was developed by Cuttlefish Multimedia Loughborough who have just created a basic related platform in concert with an sKTP with DMU/IOCT. It is a good example of a traditional discipline changing and adapting to new technology :
In art and myth, the journey is usually a heroic quest, dripping with metaphor. But what if a journey involves, instead of a highly-sought destination and revelation, simply bouncing between ports in the most banal way possible, like on the cross-channel ferry between Dover and Calais?
For artist Simon Faithfull, the anti-heroic banality of this crossing made it a perfect launching ground for his Limbo project (commissioned by the Film and Video Umbrella), which transmits and geo-locates, in real time, digital drawings made by Faithfull via a custom-made iPhone app. For a full six days (May 14th through 19th), Faithfull stayed on the ferry for an unorthodox artist residency orchestrated by artconnexion, a French art organization, going back and forth in this "window between states" while he created -- and instantly broadcast -- drawings on his iPhone. (They can be viewed not only via the iPhone app, but by following the project on Facebook or Twitter. ) Drawings of the water, fellow passengers, passing ships, luggage, signs, shorelines, and docks were all posted in real time via the app, along with precise latitude and longitude. The ubiquitous nature of smartphone use is such that Faithfull was able to carry out this residency in perfect anonymity, looking like any other passenger passing the time checking e-mails or text messaging.
As a teaching artist who splits his time between London and Berlin, and thus spends a considerable amount of time in airports, Faithfull is all too familiar with those never-thrilling netherworlds between states; this experience has been part of the inspiration for Limbo, the premise of which is to turn that negative into a positive with a mobile studio that broadcasts to the world.
Faithfull has been making electronic device drawings for over 10 years -- in 2004 he traveled to Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey on an Arts Council fellowship, where he transmitted via email drawings made on a Palm Pilot -- so in addition to broadcasting new drawings as they are completed, the Limbo app presents a full geo-located catalogue of over 500 observational sketches that Faithfull has made throughout the world over the years. The app provides a world map view, allowing the user to find drawings near their current location or anyplace they select.
The bespoke Limbo app created for Faithfull by Jude Venn of Cuttlefish is customized not only in terms of the user experience, but on the level of the drawing program. Unlike older devices, the new smartphone drawing programs tend to render anti-aliased lines -- creating a smooth non-pixelated stroke; but Faithfull wanted to keep the raw pixel quality of his early Palm Pilot work, so his drawing program allows for a more low-tech, jagged line. "I'm not interested in having the program interpret and try to correct my strokes," he says, "It's a jagged line but it's my jagged line."
Faithfull describes Limbo, which carries the subtitle "an expanding atlas of subjectivity," as an open ended project; he will continue indefinitely to create and transmit drawings wherever he goes, "mapping my subjective take on the world."
About that subjectivity: Faithfull is interested in the power of day-to-day observations, which, when translated into memories become a highly personalized reality, "a sort of parallel world." Limbo, likewise, begins with observational, subjective sketches which, once they are posted online or broadcast to iPhones, become a powerful memory world that eventually seems more real than its subjects. So real are these drawings that Faithfull occasionally sees the real world in a strange new light. He notes how odd it seems to go back to a place he's drawn: "It jumps out and seems bizarre that it actually exists...It seems the world is copying me instead of me copying the world."
For more on the Limbo project, as well as Simon Faithfull's other projects, visit http://limbo.simonfaithfull.org. To follow on your iPhone, Limbo app is available on the iTunes app store.
Images Reproduced courtesy of Simon Faithfull.
In art and myth, the journey is usually a heroic quest, dripping with metaphor. But what if a journey involves, instead of a highly-sought destination and revelation, simply bouncing between ports in the most banal way possible, like on the cross-channel ferry between Dover and Calais?
For artist Simon Faithfull, the anti-heroic banality of this crossing made it a perfect launching ground for his Limbo project (commissioned by the Film and Video Umbrella), which transmits and geo-locates, in real time, digital drawings made by Faithfull via a custom-made iPhone app. For a full six days (May 14th through 19th), Faithfull stayed on the ferry for an unorthodox artist residency orchestrated by artconnexion, a French art organization, going back and forth in this "window between states" while he created -- and instantly broadcast -- drawings on his iPhone. (They can be viewed not only via the iPhone app, but by following the project on Facebook or Twitter. ) Drawings of the water, fellow passengers, passing ships, luggage, signs, shorelines, and docks were all posted in real time via the app, along with precise latitude and longitude. The ubiquitous nature of smartphone use is such that Faithfull was able to carry out this residency in perfect anonymity, looking like any other passenger passing the time checking e-mails or text messaging. As a teaching artist who splits his time between London and Berlin, and thus spends a considerable amount of time in airports, Faithfull is all too familiar with those never-thrilling netherworlds between states; this experience has been part of the inspiration for Limbo, the premise of which is to turn that negative into a positive with a mobile studio that broadcasts to the world.
Faithfull has been making electronic device drawings for over 10 years -- in 2004 he traveled to Antarctica with the British Antarctic Survey on an Arts Council fellowship, where he transmitted via email drawings made on a Palm Pilot -- so in addition to broadcasting new drawings as they are completed, the Limbo app presents a full geo-located catalogue of over 500 observational sketches that Faithfull has made throughout the world over the years. The app provides a world map view, allowing the user to find drawings near their current location or anyplace they select.The bespoke Limbo app created for Faithfull by Jude Venn of Cuttlefish is customized not only in terms of the user experience, but on the level of the drawing program. Unlike older devices, the new smartphone drawing programs tend to render anti-aliased lines -- creating a smooth non-pixelated stroke; but Faithfull wanted to keep the raw pixel quality of his early Palm Pilot work, so his drawing program allows for a more low-tech, jagged line. "I'm not interested in having the program interpret and try to correct my strokes," he says, "It's a jagged line but it's my jagged line."
Faithfull describes Limbo, which carries the subtitle "an expanding atlas of subjectivity," as an open ended project; he will continue indefinitely to create and transmit drawings wherever he goes, "mapping my subjective take on the world."
About that subjectivity: Faithfull is interested in the power of day-to-day observations, which, when translated into memories become a highly personalized reality, "a sort of parallel world." Limbo, likewise, begins with observational, subjective sketches which, once they are posted online or broadcast to iPhones, become a powerful memory world that eventually seems more real than its subjects. So real are these drawings that Faithfull occasionally sees the real world in a strange new light. He notes how odd it seems to go back to a place he's drawn: "It jumps out and seems bizarre that it actually exists...It seems the world is copying me instead of me copying the world."
For more on the Limbo project, as well as Simon Faithfull's other projects, visit http://limbo.simonfaithfull.org. To follow on your iPhone, Limbo app is available on the iTunes app store.
Images Reproduced courtesy of Simon Faithfull.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
P{e/a}r{i/a}meter: CIRCLE Research Symposium
12:00 - 17:00, 6th June 2011
Inspace, University of Edinburgh
http://sites.ace.ed.ac.uk/
A half day of talks and presentations exploring the synergies across the CIRCLE research group: Creative Interdisciplinary Research in Collaborative Environments. With 38 members and associates, the CIRCLE research group encompasses many disciplines across the arts and sciences. The event intends to provide insight into the activities of CIRCLE members through four thematic sessions: Activity, Forms, Gaze and Within. Participants have been invited to Ogravitate¹ toward a theme and contribute to the organisation of each timed slot.
Each 45 minute session will consist of a synthesis of theoretical explorations and practical work. Everyone is invited to the event and given the broad and deep expertise of CIRCLE group members the afternoon promises to be a lively and insightful event. Consisting of papers, demonstrations and other presentations the event will reflect upon over four years of inquiry into Creative Interdisciplinary Research in Collaborative Environments.
CIRCLE's members are researchers and creative practitioners at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh and elsewhere. They work across the visual and performing arts, architecture, the humanities, the physical and social sciences. Their research focuses on developing collaborative creative environments employing methods from across diverse disciplines. Their aim is to develop effective and affecting interactive environments within a critical framework seeking the insights that interdisciplinary inquiry might allow.
This is a free event but it would help if you could indicate your wish to
attend: http://peariameter.eventbrite.
Inspace
1 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB
http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle
Simon Biggs
simon@littlepig.org.uk
http://www.littlepig.org.uk/
s.biggs@eca.ac.uk
http://www.elmcip.net/
http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/
Monday, 23 May 2011
Left Brain/Right Brain
We recommend you take a look at the words of Iain McGilchrist - author of "The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain". His ideas on how the two hemispheres of the brain "see" the world differently will resonate with anyone who has worked across disciplines, especially between the arts and sciences. There is a good RSA talk on YouTube where he introduces his ideas at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbUHxC4wiWk
Thanks to Sean Clark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbUHxC4wiWk
Thanks to Sean Clark
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Critical and Creative Thought Module
One action point from the May TD Group Meeting was to provide a ‘landscape’
of the discussions shaping the module Critical and Creative Thought.
The template was discussed verbally , then on a hosted a Google Doc
allowing the Group to view & request edit. The end-points of previous meeting minutes and email discussions. We believe that this represents a more or less consensus view and is close to encapsulating the discussions and tendencies of the group so far.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wr59d4gatfvznM9sLZu95tHI1yiaBi9jO...
If you have any comments or thoughts, please feel free to send these to
Sam Bamkin <sam.bamkin@googlemail.com> for both incorporation into the landscape and discussion by the group. Do not hesitate to do so. We also welcome new Group members from those committed to developing this module with the caveat that we do so
without any promise of success. The path to completion is beset with adversity.
of the discussions shaping the module Critical and Creative Thought.
The template was discussed verbally , then on a hosted a Google Doc
allowing the Group to view & request edit. The end-points of previous meeting minutes and email discussions. We believe that this represents a more or less consensus view and is close to encapsulating the discussions and tendencies of the group so far.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wr59d4gatfvznM9sLZu95tHI1yiaBi9jO...
If you have any comments or thoughts, please feel free to send these to
Sam Bamkin <sam.bamkin@googlemail.com> for both incorporation into the landscape and discussion by the group. Do not hesitate to do so. We also welcome new Group members from those committed to developing this module with the caveat that we do so
without any promise of success. The path to completion is beset with adversity.
Friday, 20 May 2011
InterTexts - a one-day conference on interdisciplinarity
Call for papers: InterTexts - a one-day conference on interdisciplinarity
Durham University, Durham, UK
Friday, 23rd September 2011
Abstract submission deadline: 10th June 2011
The tradition of working across disciplinary boundaries has a long history: literature and visual arts, literature and philosophy, literature and psychology, all feature prominently in the field of literary studies. At present, when humanities face escalating funding challenges and a constant requirement to justify and validate the research carried out, literary scholars increasingly look at other disciplines, expanding their field of inquiry and contributing to a proliferation of research in areas such as literature and law, literature and science, literature and medicine, literature and ecology.
This conference aims to give postgraduate and early career researchers working on interdisciplinary projects an opportunity to present their work and contribute to the discussion on the developments of interdisciplinary research within literary studies. Alongside traditional panels, we will be offering workshops that deal with practical issues, resources and challenges of conducting interdisciplinary research within one of the five interdisciplinary fields at the core of the conference (Literature and Law, Literature and Science, Medical Humanities, Literature and Visual Arts and Literature and Music).
We invite papers focusing on any issue within one of the following interdisciplinary fields:
Literature and Law
Literature and Science
Medical Humanities
Literature and Visual Arts
Literature and Music.
We also welcome proposals discussing challenges and demands of conducting interdisciplinary research. These could include, but are not limited to: proliferation of interdisciplinary research, the value of interdisciplinarity, the future of interdisciplinarity, traditional humanities vs. interdisciplinary research, implications of interdisciplinarity for literary scholarship, traditional methodologies and interdisciplinary research, interdisciplinarity and canonisation or how, if at all, do we define canons within interdisciplinary fields.
Authors of selected proposals will be invited to submit an extended version of their paper for consideration by the editorial board of Durham's Postgraduate English journal. The papers will be considered for publication in the special issue of the journal focusing on interdisciplinarity, celebrating ten years of the journal, and coinciding with the launch of its new website.
Please send 250-300 word abstracts proposing 20 minute papers to Kaja Marczewska (kaja.marczewska@durham.ac.uk <mailto:kaja.marczewska@
Notifications of acceptance, together with more information about Postgraduate English publication opportunities will be sent by 17th June 2011.
***
enquiries: kaja.marczewska@durham.ac.uk
website: http://intertexts.wordpress.
Durham University, Durham, UK
Friday, 23rd September 2011
Abstract submission deadline: 10th June 2011
The tradition of working across disciplinary boundaries has a long history: literature and visual arts, literature and philosophy, literature and psychology, all feature prominently in the field of literary studies. At present, when humanities face escalating funding challenges and a constant requirement to justify and validate the research carried out, literary scholars increasingly look at other disciplines, expanding their field of inquiry and contributing to a proliferation of research in areas such as literature and law, literature and science, literature and medicine, literature and ecology.
This conference aims to give postgraduate and early career researchers working on interdisciplinary projects an opportunity to present their work and contribute to the discussion on the developments of interdisciplinary research within literary studies. Alongside traditional panels, we will be offering workshops that deal with practical issues, resources and challenges of conducting interdisciplinary research within one of the five interdisciplinary fields at the core of the conference (Literature and Law, Literature and Science, Medical Humanities, Literature and Visual Arts and Literature and Music).
We invite papers focusing on any issue within one of the following interdisciplinary fields:
Literature and Law
Literature and Science
Medical Humanities
Literature and Visual Arts
Literature and Music.
We also welcome proposals discussing challenges and demands of conducting interdisciplinary research. These could include, but are not limited to: proliferation of interdisciplinary research, the value of interdisciplinarity, the future of interdisciplinarity, traditional humanities vs. interdisciplinary research, implications of interdisciplinarity for literary scholarship, traditional methodologies and interdisciplinary research, interdisciplinarity and canonisation or how, if at all, do we define canons within interdisciplinary fields.
Authors of selected proposals will be invited to submit an extended version of their paper for consideration by the editorial board of Durham's Postgraduate English journal. The papers will be considered for publication in the special issue of the journal focusing on interdisciplinarity, celebrating ten years of the journal, and coinciding with the launch of its new website.
Please send 250-300 word abstracts proposing 20 minute papers to Kaja Marczewska (kaja.marczewska@durham.ac.uk <mailto:kaja.marczewska@
Notifications of acceptance, together with more information about Postgraduate English publication opportunities will be sent by 17th June 2011.
***
enquiries: kaja.marczewska@durham.ac.uk
website: http://intertexts.wordpress.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
IDEAS
Well...we want to create a space at De Montfort University where open thinking can develop around Transdisciplinary practice. Where people can genuinely relax and talk, where they serve good coffee and there are the comforts of home.
Everyone who has access via their staff card or PhD student card will be welcome and they can leave a trace of themselves or any idea that they might have for others to consider. Nothing will be sacred or profane- and we want to develop new practice in course design, research and pedagogy.
If the silo mentality is akin to a machine: pigs in at one end... and sausages out the other, we want to ask "what if?" and put sausages in at one end and get live pigs out at the other. A sort of uncertainty engine. Perfect for the times we live in and for developing genuine innovation.
How will we undertake this experiment? Toby Moores of Sleepydog is willing to fund us for a period and develop our haven/crucible/hub/fountain-as you can see we are still searching for a name, and a suitable space on campus-an ideal drop-in space for staff and visitors alike between the faculties.
This will become in time, we hope, a catalyst and repository of good ideas about transdisciplinary practice, starting within the university and working outwards like ripples in a pool.With any luck all will be in place for September.
We hope in time to get a researcher appointed and to invite in several research fellows to act as animateurs. We can start with our own BIG PROBLEM: defining and implementing Transdisciplinarity.
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