"Artscience Thinking for the Global South” by Diego Maranan (SEADS)
Conference @Kinosch
In the framework of the Squatfabrik #2
Pluridisciplinary practices that span art and science are well-known in Western research and creative communities. Some of the most interesting and significant of these works confront audiences with deep questions about "life, the universe, and everything” (with apologies to Douglas Adams). But in the Global South - where addressing basic human needs, achieving economic and political security, and adapting to the unfolding climate crisis - are widely regarded as priorities, is there even space or time for the same?
Using recent artscience research and creative projects he has been involved in, the artist, academic, and activist Diego Maranan argues that despite - or indeed because - of the challenges confronting the Global South, research, practice, and education on the intersections of the arts and the sciences is more necessary than ever. Examples include how speculative design and wearable technology can enrich models of possible futures as well as highlight current concerns and anxieties of young people; how bio-art practices can generate solutions for waste reuse and community engagement; and how dance and embodied practices can lead to interesting opportunities for research on medical and therapeutic devices.
Diego Maranan is an artist, academic, and activist who works in the area of human-technology interaction. Through technology research and intermedia artistic practice, he investigates, critiques, and reimagines the relationship between humans and the world we inhabit.
Diego Maranan is a member of SEADS (Space Ecologies Art and Design), a transdisciplinary and cross-cultural collective of artists, scientists, engineers and activists. Its members come from all corners of the world, from places such as the Philippines, Belgium, the UK, Malaysia, Kosovo, and the US. SEADS is actively engaged in deconstructing dominant paradigms about the future and develops alternative models through a combination of critical inquiry and hands-on experimentation.