Are We All Addicts Now? A generative research workshop
Wellcome Trust building/ Thursday 29 September/ 4.30-6.30pm/ FREE (booking required)
You are invited to join us for a research workshop responding to work in progress by artist Katriona Beales. Are We All Addicts Now? is an artist led enquiry into how the conditions of the digital are not just shaped by us but are also shaping us. It addresses how behaviours that were once described as symptomatic of addiction have become normalised (for example, the average smartphone user checks their device over 200 times a day). Katriona is also interested in the underlying labour relations – the vested interests driving the emotional and affective labour that as ‘addicts’ we undertake.
The visual matrix is a new psychosocial research technique that we are using to generate audience response to work in progress from the project. Our process is designed to test how a broad range of arts, science and technology practitioners respond to interdisciplinary arts projects. Content generated during this session will inform the ongoing development of Are We All Addicts Now?
How it works: Participants will be invited to view still and moving images documenting work in progress created by Katriona. Over the course of 45 minutes, participants will then engage in a process of generating images and associations related to their experience of the work that they have seen. You will be seated throughout, engage with other participants and be encouraged to provide verbal associations if and when you are comfortable speaking. The visual matrix will be audio recorded. Following this there will be a short break and a second session lasting 45 minutes where participants will be asked to consider the images and associations generated by the group in a discussion. Optional five-minute ‘exit interviews’ with individual participants will take place at the end of the process.
Our research team will analyze the material that we have recorded. Anonymised excerpts will be used for further research and publication including conference and journal articles.
If you are interested in participating please contact v.bartlett@unsw.edu.au for more information.
The visual matrix method was created and developed by Lynn Froggett and her team at the Psychosocial Research Unit at University of Central Lancashire
Research Team: Dr Elizabeth Muller and Miss Vanessa Bartlett, UNSW Australia. Ethics Approval No: HC16612