Metacognitive Assemblies. Crafting intra-relations with Technology in Posthuman Making
This research aims to investigate, from an artistic perspective, the dichotomy between crafts and technology in an epoch of arcane revolutionary developments. Delving into the perpetually evolving interplay between the hand and the machine and encompassing new materialistic as well as posthumanistic ideals, I aim to demystify the imaginary fracture that exists between these two realms.
Historically, craft and technology have been closely intertwined, however nowadays craft is often romanticized as a bodily relic of the past, while technology is envisioned as the evil future that disentangles us from reality. This polarity overlooks the core interdependence of both domains and their shared capacity to shape the thought and action of the future human.
As new technologies integrate into craft practices, they introduce an "un-bodied" layer in the making process, calling for a redefinition of the ways in which we prehend the handling of materials, and of the understanding of craft itself.
The methodology involves interdisciplinary crossovers from a postphenomenological perspective, examining cognitive structures of the self within both, traditional and contemporary production methods. Through physical exploration and conceptual analysis around techniques within craft disciplines as well as newer manufacturing processes, I aim to create tangible works that serve as platforms to interrogate the current linearity in the relationship between maker, object, and
tool.
Results
Building on the ongoing outcomes of my current research (see attachment), I seek to produce bodies of work consisting of objects and jewellery that speak about the way they are made. Such exploration could consider the visible integration of specific machine properties interlaced with human characteristics into the final pieces. Another path would be to investigate nuance ideas as the "disabilities" of self-made machines. A way of tangibly capture this concept would be by making use of the robotic arm I’m currently building to reflect on how these limitations mirror and translate our own faults
and imperfections and the implications of such assumptions.
The works will be displayed in different niches. It will happen in the form of exhibitions in various contexts such as galleries
for contemporary jewellery like Gallery Beyond in Antwerp or Gallery Marzee in The Netherlands, taking part in off-site
exhibition during events like Salone del Mobile in Milan or the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven as well as online platforms
such as “the room” part of the Loewe foundation, among others. Furthermore, the recordings mentioned above will be
published in an online format making the research log available to a wider audience through a digital platform. Additionally,
there will be a final publication where I will summarize and draw connections between the theoretical feed, the input from the interviews, the outcomes of the experiments as well as the finding and subjective experiences during the development of the research.
