Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) has invited three Central Saint Martins academics on month-long teaching and research residencies.
Continuing an institution dialogue on the arbitrary borders between art/design and science/technology, they will be hosted by Professor Kayoko Nohara’s laboratory in the department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering in the School of Environment and Society. From an initial callout, the three selected academics are Ulrike Oberlack (MA Design: Ceramics, Furniture, Jewellery), Betti Marenko (BA Product Design) and Heather Barnett (MA Art and Science).
From left to right: Ulrike Oberlack, Heather Barnett, Betti Marenko
What is design for the post-anthropocene? Future Crafting, Speculation and the Non-Human, an investigation between philosophy and design
Marenko proposes a series of lectures bringing together philosophy, design theory and technology to investigate design’s responsibilities, practices and discourses for a post-Anthropocene future. Philosophical positions concerning forms of “futurecrafting” via design, digital uncertainty and the need to rethink what counts as human.
Cultures of Enquiry
Barnett will present the evolution of art & design and science & technology, examining key moments in the history of ideas, the development of academia up to contemporary interdisciplinary practices and the current propositions for post-disciplinary approaches. Barnett’s proposal includes practical workshops – such as an impossible challenge to design and build an ‘objective drawing device’ – designed to elicit curiosity and criticality in students, through a combination of didactics, play and social learning.
Design in Practice
Oberlack will provide a practice-based experience of the design process, sharing how iteration harnesses creativity through trial and error, feedback loops and reflection. She will also share her own research interests in wearable lights, flexible sensors, Organic Electro-Luminescent Devices and Quantum Dot technologies with Tokyo Tech’s Materials Research Hub.
The exchanges will take place throughout this academic year so watch this space for updates.
More information:
- Tokyo Tech World Research Hub Initiative
- BA Product Design
- MA Design: Ceramics, Furniture, Jewellery
- MA Art and Science