Beyond the Ruins of the Future

‘Beyond the Ruins of the Future’ focuses on the role of art in times of ecological crisis. The doctoral research explores and develops experimental methods of artistic translation and narration of the environmental urgency that offer new ways to rekindle a relationship with the natural world. The artistic research reflects how art projects can propose alternative perspectives on the intricate connections between human stories and the more extensive material, environmental, and inter-species networks.

The interdisciplinary research focuses on context-specific projects and responds to current artistic discourse within art and ecology. It reflects on art projects that relate to a specific precarious and complex historical context involving intergenerational care and human attempts to restore spaces of ecological destruction. These emphasize the need for a new relationship with nature, and I explore the role of art and the collective imagination within this transition process.

The research will respond to these topics by producing a body of work, including artistic films, sculptures, installations, a series of discursive events that will engage the audience, and a publication. I aim to develop works that try to capture the complexity of the historical entanglements relating to the contexts of the sites where I work, forge unforeseen connections, foster identification, and incite action.

Speaking Afield
As part of this research I co-initated a series of fieldwalks together with PhD researchers Alexandra Crouwers and Nele Möller. Alexandra and Nele are also members of deep histories fragile memories (dhfm), an artistic research group at LUCA School of Arts that engages with ecologies and field sites, through experimental writing, fieldwork, listening, and the shaping of new narratives.

Speaking Afield is a series of informal and intimate fieldwalks with invited researchers focussing on different aspects of the impact of the ecological crisis. The walks are initiated by interdisciplinary artists part of the research group deep histories fragile memories. Each walk takes place in a different landscape and is hosted by one of the artists who will engage with the invited researcher.