[ISEA2022] Paper: Carly Whitaker — Cultivating the possible: using design methodologies for artistic research

Abstract

Full Paper. Session: Educations and Societies / Practice-based research STEAM and Media art

Keywords: Preservation, Documentation, Art residencies, Design methodologies, Artistic research, Cultivating the possible

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the possible, to capture a contemporary moment and to look towards the future. This seems to be their prerogative and a requirement for reflecting critically on ‘the now’. The digital medium demands this. In order for a new possible way of working to be imagined – artists and researchers need to look outside of their own contexts, towards other ways of working to ensure sustainability, longevity and relevance.

The covid-19 pandemic demands that artists, curators and researchers re-imagine their practice for a technology orientated future. As digital product design or interaction design has progressed, so have the research methods which aid in the realisation of digital products and systems. This field of human computer interaction (HCI), leverages design thinking as an iterative, agile approach. This paper will present //2Weeks special edition, theTMRW residency programme and the Floating Reverie website as case studies indirectly and directly been inspired by this way of working applied to an artistic research practice, curatorial projects and collaborative working within the digital medium.
Through the use of different methodologies and approaches to artistic research and art residencies, within the context of the digital medium, a reinforced connection between arts and technology has the potential to occur.

  • Carly Whitaker is an independent curator, researcher, artist, and lecturer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Reading in the UK focusing on curatorial networked methodologies in South Africa. Whitaker has participated in numerous exhibitions at art spaces in Johannesburg, Freiburg, Casablanca, Miami and Sao Paulo. Through her practice she engages in a constant exploration of how we communicate through media and the ways we use technology to create dialogues, form connections between ourselves and the digital space. Noteworthy curatorial projects include Floating Reverie, an online digital residency programme, which has been running for over six years and Blue Ocean an online digital project space that started in 2022. Whitaker is currently the Curatorial Director of the TMRW Gallery a mixed realities workshop based in Johannesburg. Through a range of lecturing, industry experience and research positions, Carly Whitaker has gained extensive knowledge of design research practices which she incorporates into her own research. She is passionate about creating and developing spaces for digital artists and artists wanting to work with technology to practice and develop their research further. Her curatorial practice has enabled this to develop, specifically focusing on the online medium. Whitaker is interested in the positioning of this artistic research and investigating how artists can develop a practice online through and with the medium. https://www.carlywhitaker.co.za