Project module
Prof. Ursula Damm, Mindaugas Gapševičius, Isabella Lee Arturo, Bethan Hughes
An ecosystem can be described as a network of interacting living and non-living components within a defined space—such as a garden, an exhibition space, or, in a broader sense, a bacterial cell or an artwork. Also, or as Felix Guattari puts it, the ecological registers comprise the environment, social relations, and human subjectivity.
In the proposed project module, we will adopt this broader understanding of ecosystems, conceptually engaging with the notion and its interactive elements. What elements can be identified within a defined ecosystem? How do these elements respond to the questions posed by an artwork?
During the module, we will develop an installation—and, in a broader sense, explore land art, interactive audiovisual works, or participatory events—as an ecosystem constituting an artwork, examining how all components come together to convey its conceptual core. This process will be supplemented by an intensive five-day workshop.
During the workshop, we will test the technical and conceptual limits of installation by creating a series of temporary installations in spaces in and around the university. Stretching the notion of ‘ecology’ beyond its original meaning – denoting the relationship between living organisms and their environment – we will identify and experiment with the different interlocking elements that produce an audiovisual installation.
Students will develop skills to understand how Audiovisual synchronisation, immersive spaces, screen surfaces, and site-specificity contribute to the creation of an audiovisual installation. Rather than outlining visionary projections of an artwork, they will learn to articulate the work in its realised form.