Biomodd: The integration of art into transdisciplinary research practices

In this paper, we argue for the integration of collaborative art practice in transdisciplinary (TD) research to generate ideas and engage researchers and non-academic stakeholders. We draw on the virtual and in-person (hybrid) participation of members of the TD collective Space Ecologies Art and Design (SEADS) during Biomodd, an art installation that addresses global challenges in ecology, humanity, technology, and technological waste. Using survey responses, diaries, and meeting minutes, we reflect on the process, methods and ideation during Biomodd and map them to the concept of the idea journey discussed by Jill E. Perry-Smith and Pier Vittorio Mannucci. We find that while in-person ideation was driven by utility, materiality, and emergence, the hybrid mode provided favorable conditions for a feedback loop of expansive, individual experimentation and online sharing.

Automated summary

This paper argues for the integration of collaborative art practice in transdisciplinary research to generate ideas and engage researchers and non-academic stakeholders. The authors analyze the virtual and in-person participation of members of a collective during an art installation to explore the process, methods, and ideation. They find that the hybrid mode facilitates a feedback loop of individual experimentation and online sharing.