MA Photography

Artistic and scientific/engineering research have been the pillars of my studies on human-animal relationships. In this essay, an attempt to contextualise the non-linear process of my on-going project MELK was made. The theory and discussion was built upon The Conflict of Faculties by Henk Borgdoff (2012). An evaluation on MELK was also made, which relates to view points from Grant Kester’s Conversation Pieces: The Role of Dialogue in Socially-Engaged Art (2005) and Ben Davis’s A critique of social practice art (ISR, 2013).

This is a study about the multiple modes of engagement between art and academia (science). The study does not focus on the widely discussed artistic research, but wishes to give more focus on how  scientific research can benefit from engaging with the art discourse.

The study established a frame of reference comprising four current modes of engagements between art and science: science as “tools”, as “subjects”, as “reasons for and ground of collaborations”, and science as “art”. This research emphasises the part, “science as art”, and suggests that some scientific works have artistic qualities, and have the potential to be received and debated in the art discourse. Through engaging with art, scientific research has the possibility to be scrutinised by a set of heterogeneous thinkers, providing fresh and perhaps critical reflections.

Two of the author’s latest work on human-animal relationships, White Bear (2014-) and MELK (2016-) are presented, analysed and positioned within the scope of the established frame of reference. The author believes that art has the potential to introduce a fresh perspective on the subject matter, and spark off longterm debates without being didactic. A more detailed argument is given on how Jacque Rancière’s notion of Dissensus is inline with the works’ strategies and process.

The study also presents a practical working method for projects that involve multidisciplinary collaborations, with the help of social media groups.