M.A.R.I.N. camp forum

M.A.R.I.N. / Sensing the Baltic Sea

Contemplate / answer / write within the context of the following research topics / questions during your stay in the residency. The questions / topics are explained / elaborated below.

Approach:

• What is your initial plan / goals for the residency

Context:

• How should this kind of research be facilitated and modified as a process? (vs eg. academic research)
• Could you design something that could be of relevance in local context
• What could you offer to other participants & something that would really benefit you from the others?

Methods:

• Pros & cons of DIY / DIT methods (eg. openness vs rigor)
• What kind of special relevance can be gained for working in the field?
• How do you react to the different environments?

Technology & tools:

• /question about/  electronics, power, hacks
• /question about/ Cooking, self-sufficiency, sustainability

Documentation:

• /question about/ best practices for documentation
• /question about/ knowledge generation & transfer

Our residencies foster DIT and DIY practices: doing it together and by yourself. Work processes are taking place in different nature environments. In the summer of 2011 we are mostly at the Baltic Sea, ranging from small islands to farming communities. Besides working on projects, we would hope to reflect upon the very process that is formed by us. Could you kindly reflect in your own blog for M.A.R.I.N. these questions, and beyond:

DIY – DIT – practice and process – - what kind of special relevance can be gained for working in the field? How do you react to the different environments?

Social context – there are people that are part of the residency with different ideas and skills. We can either work together in a very informal way, or besides that, introduce some working methods such as show and tell sessions, or practical workshops for sharing a way of working or a skill. What would you be willing to offer others, and is there something that would really benefit you, from others?

Local context - we at times live amongst local communities. Do you feel a need to design something that could be of relevance locally? It could be something brought back later – what could it be? How would you describe to the non-initiated, what is it that you are interested in doing or making? Maybe you need to go out and talk to people and find out who they are, once you know how to describe yourself.

Research context - on the one hand we are making and tinkering, on the other, we are involved in bits of research that may ultimately develop into more profound ideas, innovations or designs. In some sense, we are doing research in slow action. At one end there is scientific research about marine ecosystems. At one end, developing electronics for artistic and citizen sensing. At one end of the spectrum there is artistic research that explores different elements with the aim to create artworks or processes. How should this research context be facilitated and modified as a process, if you compare it with academic research?

Field notes - It is of course a bit outdated, this idea of a researcher in a chamber, who then goes into the field to do research to get empirical data. Still, it is different if you get a ready made data set or if you can be out in the open to observe, to sense, forming a collage of things that you can narrate, document and share. We urge you to make field notes on the camp blog:
- capture images, sounds and situations
- capture data and link the data with the above
- use gps, maps, found objects to mark the sites and future memory of the context where the data or media was captured.

Cooking Hacks - We strongly believe that good cooking with maximized food resourcing from nearby is an important element of a residency. It is a glue between people, releasing pleasure that helps your mind to reach new ideas. Or tell good stories. What could you introduce others? Please also blog into our food recipes section!

Electronics and other hacks – kind of needless to say, please share what you do, and concepts your make on the blog. We have friends out there also who may help if needed.

Sustainability - please think about energy and water consumption during the residency. Maybe this is something also to blog about.

Collaboratory – We are keen to hear ideas that emerge about future collaborations. Projects that could be done locally or elsewhere.

Publication – All of these elements help to gather documentation towards a publication we hope to make in the winter: Sensing the Baltic Sea. Entries can be edited field notes, or an essay, or a described work of making.