PROCESS DESIGN 2020

Diagram

IN/VISIBLE FORCES

The new science topic “In/visible forces”  (IF) references those physical properties that produce “exotic” phenomena such as weak and strong nuclear interactions, gravity, magnetism and the Higgs boson.  Some “action-at-a-distance” or “non-contact” forces are thought to be mediated by virtual particles that may exhibit quantum entanglement.  Such “hidden” forces used to be “invisible” but are now more or less understood.  These forces allow remote parts of the environment (and the universe) to exert a force on an object without being in contact with it.  What we do know is that such action-at-a-distance forces are very real and that we experience them every day.

Within the context of LOoW we understand In/visible Forces as fundamental physics properties.  But we are also attracted to and invested in their metaphorical and social connotations as potential and probable influences on artistic practice.  How is climate change an in/visible force on our daily lives?  In what ways does herd mentality act as an in/visible force on human decision making? Through this topic, we explored a network of ideas from physics as well as, social forces, force fields and fields of experience.

LOoW EXPERIMENTAL TEAMS | September 2021 to February 2022

The process design for this phase involved collaborative groups as a way to activate co-thought and associative thinking for comprehending complex phenomena. We speculate that new ways of thinking will arise from this process of co-thought. The teams were comprised of a physicist, and two to three artists working in diverse media such as visual art, media art, performance, text, or sound. Some teams also included a scholar from another discipline. Each group worked collectively to respond to the science topic of In/visible Forces and produced a singular or shared artwork over a period of 6 months between Sept. 2021 and Feb. 2022. The process was very much emergent and dependent on the individual team members and what they brought to the discussion. There were 10 groups in total.

TIMELINE | In/visible Forces (IF) Process Design

Post Science Seminar – Each team met separately for online meetings for approximately 90-120 minutes. Meeting times were organized by each team. Structured online meetings occurred as follows:

September GROUP Online Meeting 1 >> TBD by the Team

(This was distinct from the Science Seminar on Sept 17.)

1. Participants gave a 10-15 minute presentation on their way of working followed by Q&A
2. Each group discussed how they might incorporate IF ideas into their practices and the group dynamic.
3. This was followed by addressing the elephant in the room, whatever that might be?
4. Participants discussed whether they would like to make a group work, an individual work, both or a cluster of works.
5. A visual map and/or notes were made of the discussion and collected by Research Assistant Scotty Alveberg for the LOoW Central Repository.
6. Production Work: Each participant made an iteration (Iteration I) of their ideas (drawing, diagram, object, poem, etc.) 

October GROUP Online Meeting 2 >> TBD by the Team

1. Each participant shared Iteration I. This Iteration was collected by a Research Assistant for the LOoW Central Repository.
2. Participants discussed potential overlaps in thinking and perceived contrasts/contradictions.
3. Participants discussed whether they would like to make a group, an individual work, both or a cluster of works. Questions: How might they conceive the cluster or relation of works?
4. A visual map and/or notes were made of the discussion and collected by a Research Assistant for the LOoW Central Repository.
5. Production Work: Team members developed the second iteration (Iteration II) informed by group members’ first iteration and discussion.

November: Second Online Seminar – 2 hours Scheduled by LOoW

1. Presentations were more granular, metaphorical, utopian, speculative, impossible, etc. Scholars/artists presented alongside physicists. (75 minutes)

2. Breakout Groups of all participants: Participants shared work whether MTG 1 visual maps/notes, MTG 2 Iteration I, etc. (45 minutes)

November or December Online Meeting 3 – TBD by the group >> TBD by the Team

1. Team members shared Iteration II and Second Seminar take aways in terms of impact. Iteration II was collected by a Research Assistant for the LOoW Central Repository.
2. Production Work: Team members developed a third iteration (Iteration III) building on previous works/discussions.

January and/or February Meeting 4 – Final Online group session >> TBD by the Team

1. Team members shared Iteration III/final draft work for LOoW exhibition. This Iteration was also collected by a Research Assistant for the LOoW Central Repository.
2. Questions: How are the disparate elements/ideas of the entire process taken up in Iteration III? How do the final works engage with in/visible forces whether granular, metaphorical, utopian, speculative, impossible, etc.

Note: Once the participants completed their commitments to the production process, they were asked to providetheir Field Response in the form of a short questionnaire. These Field Responses allowed the researchers to collect data and assess the project along with other elements.

February 20, 2022 

LOoW received all Iterations to install at ECU campus for exhibition

TEN EXPERIMENTAL TEAMS

TEAM 2

Physicist: Jess Brewer – TRIUMF emeriti physicist
Artist: Barbara Lounder – performance, walking, sculpture
Artist: Francisco-Fernando Granados – drawing, writing, performance, installation
Artist/Scholar: Jamie Hilder – writing, video, performance, sculpture, Emily Carr University faculty

TEAM 4

Physicist: Ewan Hill – University of British Columbia Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Artist: Christine Howard Sandoval – performance, video, sculpture, Emily Carr University faculty
Artist: Otoniya J Okot Bitek – poet, scholar, Queen’s University faculty
Scholar: Andrew Martindale – archaeologist, University of British Columbia faculty

TEAM 6

Physicist: David McKeen – TRIUMF physicist
Artist: Brenda Crabtree – Northwest Coast First Nations materials, text, Director of Aboriginal Programs, Emily Carr University
Artist: Hyung-Min Yoon – media, public art
Artist: Sidi Chen – performance, installation, Emily Carr University MFA student, Research Assistant
Scholar: Ernesto Pena – design, digital media, visual literacy, University of British Columbia faculty

TEAM 8

Physicist: Carla Babcock – TRIUMF physicist
Artist: Jay White – installation, animation, storyteller, activism, Emily Carr University faculty
Artist: Scotty Alveberg – painting, printmaking, drawing, Emily Carr University BFA student, Research Assistant
Artist: Claudia Fernandez – multi-instrumentalist/musical performance/production, drawing, painting, Emily Carr University BFA student, Research Assistant

TEAM 10

Physicist: Patrick de Perio – TRIUMF physicist
Artist: Kieran Muller – photography, film, animation
Artist: Loretta Todd – film, documentary, shorts, animation, web, learning apps, video games, VR, creative director IM4 Media Lab, Emily Carr University
Artist: David McGregor – film, documentary, narrative, experimental, sculpture, installation, beekeeping, Emily Carr University MFA student, Research Assistant