The minor Artistic Research in Situ (ARiS) is an interdisciplinary minor in the arts, that aims to both broaden and deepen methods of artistic research. Broadening in the sense that it is open to students who want to practice and experience with artistic research as a method for their own practice, and in-depth for those students who have already been in contact with artistic research and want to develop and implement this further in their artistic practice. While the minor is designed by Fine Arts, Design and Education programmes, together with iArts (the Maastricht Institute of interdisciplinary Arts), the module is open for all arts students (from architecture to theatre) – both at Zuyd Hogeschool and beyond.

In this minor, which is offered in 10 weeks in period 3 (February – End April, academic year 2024-2025), the connection with the environment (in situ), and in particular the Maastricht ENCI area, is its central focus. This unique area forms the basis for new research methods from the arts – in particular walking and other sensory methods – to explore, map and reflect on complex, layered landscapes (such as the ENCI area). The ENCI area is marked by years of a transformation process, which, rooted in history – the marl excavation and cement/clinker production from 1926 – has drastically changed the landscape, but paradoxically has also resulted in special scientific research and nature development. This has led, among other things, to the discovery of the first, but also the last Mosasaurus 'Lars'. Furthermore, the area also hosts a special species of fly. But also a variety of artists has conducted research in the area in recent years, such as in the 'TRANSITION ZONE' project (https://overgangszone.nl/ ). The cement industry of the location closed down definitively a few years ago, and the environment was designated to become a ‘new nature area’. The challenge is how this might be developed further. Different parties have different frames of perception of the area, different notions of nature, different notions of the identity of the area. Not infrequently this has revealed paradoxical situations, and many different interests play a role in this until nowadays. However, these parties and interests are important for the research and can play an important role as 'external client' or public.

It is the explicit intention of this minor not to enter into any political position, but to explore the area bottom-up from its initial opportunities and possibilities. To this end, walking and sensory methods are used to investigate this complex layered landscape from different perspectives, to map the area, formulate questions and activate the area in the transformation process towards the future. These transformations cover the following areas: 1. Development and Research, 2. Industry and People, and 3. Nature and Ecology. Various types of knowledge productions are used, including embodied and local knowledge, and last but not least the art itself as knowledge production. This involves collaboration with parties who have conducted previous research in the area and who have developed special artistic and/or ethnographic methods for researching these types of areas and subjects.

Students are provided with research frameworks and methods and are encouraged to develop their own methods and develop their own research trajectory. From the outset, students are challenged to do their own research and create work, which is also supervised by a number of (guest) lecturers. In addition, almost weekly walking lecture series (the so-called ENCI-WALKS) are provided by various guest lecturers and experts (science/ art/design/education and stakeholders), who shed light on the area from the different perspectives mentioned above. Central is a workshop on location organised by artist duo Esther Polak and Ivar van Bekkum (2024), in which the ENCI-quarry as performative object is central focus. Students actively participate in this and work together. This workshop is also open for other students of Zuyd till a max. of 15 participants.

In addition, students formulate their own research questions and keep a research log, which is evaluated on a weekly basis. Both a personal and a collective logbook are developed from the outset, included in the process and supervised, and serve as an important reflective source for individual and collective research and work. The students also show a collaborative attitude within their research and the willingness to share their research results and develop them into a presentation (relevant to their field) that shows the embodiment of their research. Finally, the students work on a joint publication, in which their findings and results are presented. This publication will be organically maintained on the website of 'TRANSITION ZONE', but will also be bundled in a paper version in due course. This creates a 'Living Archive', with which we also want to clarify the final goals of the module. Students are guided throughout the process by the aforementioned (guest) lecturers and Krien Clevis. Two additional guest lecturers (Fine Arts, Design and Education) are also deployed for educational supervision from their own department. Krien Clevis is primarily responsible and chief educational supervisor for the entire research in situ. She teaches and supervises all candidates on a weekly basis. The own research and developed work are presented during the assessment of Block 3 in the form of a kind of exhibition/workshop/ public moment, organised by the students.

For more information see also https://overgangszone.nl/artistic-research-in-situ/ en https://whatartknows.nl/nieuws/2023/inschrijving-open-voor-module-artistic-research-in-situ/

 

‘Artistic Research in Situ’ (ARiS) is an interdisciplinary minor for students from all disciplines of the arts (including design and art education) and other disciplines from universities of applied sciences in the arts, offered by the Maastricht Institute of Arts (Zuyd University of Applied Science) in the Netherlands in collaboration with the research centre What Art Knows. The aim is, on the one hand, to develop artistic research methods and skills for students who have had little or no introduction to these yet (broadening), and, on the other hand, to deepen artistic research on site for students who want to further develop and implement such methods and skills in their artistic practice (deepening). In this cross-training research minor, the connection with the environment in situ is central. It focuses in particular on the complex, layered (geologically, historically, socially, culturally, ecologically) ENCI area. The purpose of this minor is to examine the field in a bottom-up approach: from its extant opportunities and possibilities (bricolage) to an elaboration in concrete, site-engaged art. Walking and sensory methods are used to investigate this complex layered landscape from different perspectives, to (re)map the area, to formulate questions and to activate the area in the transformation process towards the future.

The transformations cover the following areas:

1. Development and Research,
2. Industry and People,
3. Nature and Ecology.

These themes involve collaboration with parties who have conducted previous research in the area and who have developed special artistic and/or ethnographic methods for researching these types of areas and subjects. This, with the intention that students become acquainted with and learn about the complex layered ENCI area, learn different research skills, be able to formulate their own research questions and most importantly: develop their own research trajectory from the outset (relevant to their own field and practice) within the aforementioned research frameworks. It is important that the students have a collaborative attitude within their research and are willing to share their research results. The final results of research and work will be presented at the end of the period in words and images, and shown via a research log and website.

Target groups: all study programmes

Work forms:

1. Tutorials, walking research and presentations of the research: organising (bi)weekly ENCI WALKS on the subject
2. Developing your own research trajectory, which arises from your own questions, doing and making
3. Reflection talks and personal teaching support (on site and/or online): Krien Clevis (Artistic Research, main responsible) and others. Weekly evaluation of research log
4. Central workshop in the ENCI area, in which students actively participate
5. Presentation of the students own research and work in an appropriate form
6. Documentation of the students own research log and on the website.

Ad 1: Lecture series/ENCI WALKS in which the ENCI area serves as a basis for new research methods from the arts, and in particular walking and other sensory methods to explore and to map complex, layered landscapes (such as the ENCI area) to convey and reflect on.

Ad 2: Highest priority, in addition to the range of walks and workshops has going out and looking yourself, conducting active research yourself and immediately developing work right from the start. Precisely by doing and making/trying/experimenting yourself, an active and reflective attitude is created right from the start and contributes to positive development (individual and group).

Ad 3: Teaching/Reflection talks Research logs, both individual and collective, are reviewed weekly. The collective research log is evaluated every Monday prior to the walk. After the walks, students experiences are discussed, both in groups and individually. On the Monday days when no walks take place, the students are supervised at the academy/at their studio.

Ad. 4: Central Workshop led by the artist duo Esther Polak and Ivar van Bekkum, in which the ENCI-quarry as performative object is central focus. In this 3-days workshop students will try out the ways in which they can approach the landscape, in this case the Transition Zone, through movement. Then they will look at which performative act they can use to create a new reality together with the landscape. Students actively participate in this workshop. This workshop is also open for other students of Zuyd till a max. of 15 participants.

Ad 5: During the assessment of the module (week 17), the students present their own research and work that they have developed during the minor. The presentation takes place in an adequate form that fits the interest and field of work of the student (presentation, performance, workshop, etc.).

Ad 6: The students must properly document their own research process by keeping a weekly logbook in words and images. In addition, work is being done on a collective research log, which contains joint questions and shows a reflexive group spirit. The research results and the joint log are published on the website.

Contact times:

Every Monday, before, during and after the walks/workshops led by guest lecturers (or if no walks take place on Mondays at the academy). The walks basically take place in the ENCI area and start with a preliminary discussion (1 hour) and end with a debriefing (1 hour). Time from 12:00 - 18:00. (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM preliminary discussion/ 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM walk/ 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM debriefing = 6 hours/w). With the exception of guidance by fellow lectureres (1x on Tuesday, 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM = 0.5 hrs/w) and the three-day Central workshop (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) = 2.6 hrs/w), and additional online conversations/guidance by Krien Clevis and Martine de Rooij (5 hours/w). Total student hours = max. 14 hours/week. We expect students to be busy with their own research full-time. The module is designed in such a way that students have maximum time to develop and carry out their own research and work. See also method 3.

The minor is a research studio, developed by the Fine Arts, Design & Education program together with the research center What Art Knows. It is a form of education in which students participate in an interdisciplinary research project. The minor takes place at various locations around the ENCI area in Maastricht, involving various external stakeholders (including Maastricht University, Radboud University Nijmegen, Natural History Museum Maastricht, and other local partners). Students from various art courses at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and beyond participate.

Interdisciplinary research project, 15 EC, minimum 5,5: exhibition of own reseach and developed work, research log (individual and in group), website 

Locations: ENCI-area: ENCI-quarry, St. Pietersberg and environment and various indoor locations (i.e. Chalet d’n Observant) and the Maastricht Institute of Arts – Herdenkingsplein 12/Kruisherengang 12, 6211 PW, Maastricht. All walks start from the Chalet d'n Observant. With the exception of of guidance at the academy. Some walks are accompanied by PPT presentations or film screenings. These are also shown in the Chalet d’n Observant: https://www.chaletobservant.nl/route 

Registering for this minor goes as follows: register here via Kies Op Maat and also contact with Krien Clevis: krien.clevis@zuyd.nl /+31 6-53938283