Preface

This blog is dedicated to you, my fellow artists/researchers.

Do you recognise yourselves in this definition? Because I recognise you. My departure point is that everyone is an artist and a researcher. At least part-time, and at least in part.

Some people don’t think of themselves as researchers, but we all are. We do research every day, most times without realising it. For example, we begin to research when we reach out for the extension of our body: the phone, and say in a low, intimate voice: ‘Hey Google’.

Some people don’t think of themselves as artists, but we all are. We are all able to process and relate to the complex, the symbolic, the aesthetic. We all, to a certain degree, are sensitive to beauty and have the ability to tap into its power.

Now, the definition of ‘scientist’ is evasive. Even though I refer to myself as ‘social scientist’, I don’t really care so much for this definition when I go outside academia. I research knowledge production and co-production, carried out jointly by ‘scientists’ and ‘non-scientists’ – but if we start drilling into this demarcation, we come out with too little substance for our labours.

Without going into the philosophy of science, sociology of science, science and technology studies, critical theory and political ecology, which all deal with definitions and demarcations one way or another, let’s simply adopt for the moment the concept of artist/scientists which I am going to use in this blog. I use it very simply – it’s not some kind of an archetype, and god forbid not someone who goes in and out of the Platonic cave. It’s me and you, in those dimensions of our everyday experience where we try to make sense of things, figure things out, work, research, give care, create, connect, love, and occasionally have a little fun.

What will you find on these pages? Superimpositions: sometimes confused, sometimes harsh, but hopefully amusing – of research and artistic processes, which are the processes of life exploration, embracing the challenges, inconsistencies, aha-moments and generous gifts.

My artistic and ‘real’ life friends – please bear with me if I start overtheorising things. I hope you will find something here to entertain you and perk you up.

My research friends – please don’t expect clarity and consistency on these pages. I would like to say I leave clarify and consistency for my research, but alas, you won’t find it there either, at least not judging from my PhD individual study plan – on which you are welcome to read here, to begin with).

Saludos y no pasarán.