Art & Research: Ways of knowing when travelling and collecting

“Exploration” or “journey” are terms often used when it comes to describe endeavours of research projects. Most of the time such expressions do not refer directly to an actual journey happening, but rather metaphorically point to the processes of “finding out” as a way to gain knowledge. On the other hand in what ways can we consider actual travelling – for example, field trips – and collecting as artistic research methods? 

Through the perspective of the concrete examples of three PhD-projects by artists from the DFA’s Transforming Environments programme, we will discuss different aspects and problematics of travelling and collecting. What ethical questions arise in research journeys involving foreign or unknown contexts? How can we find ways to collect without taking away? And when, or in what form, is “stealing” a productive method of artistic appropriation? 

Along these questions, the seminar proposes to look at research approaches from other disciplines, such as anthropology, geology, astronomy or psychoanalysis, that deal with the issues of finding non-exploitative and decolonial ways of engaging with and exploring ‘unknown territories’. We will discuss techniques and practices of problematic data collection and ask what potentials, risks and inspirations they offer for artistic enquiry. The participants will be encouraged to reflect on the function of collecting and travelling in their own practice. In a series of workshop experiments, different experiences of organising and processing collected materials will be developed and shared.