1. Investigative Arts as Grassroots Empowerment to Environmental Research: the Cases of Taming the Forest and xMobilPeter Purg, 2023, unpublished conference contribution Abstract: In the current state of multiple and repeating planetary-scale crises, ranging from climate disasters to resource mismanagement, the complexity of problems often takes humanity into exploring unknown unknowns. Through a gradual consolidation of networks and platforms across realms of education, economy and both NGO as well as public cultural institutions, it is especially the media-artistic practice (and discourse!) of the investigative kind that trailblazes possible itineraries and develops (at least speculative) toolbelts for venturing into any kind of livable future, possibly such that might surpass the aporia of the anthropocene and find a new way of making (up to) kin.
The selected project cases depict two possible strategic approaches lending well to grassroots initiatives, even if both are embedded within either wide-ranging multi-million supported (structural) platform endeavors, or trans-national programmes such as the European Capital of Culture.
An ongoing collaborative process between art and science, Taming the Forest (2022-) is being implemented by a group of students, artists and researchers charting an interdisciplinary cross-field among bioeconomy, cultural history, policy, and art(ivism). Researching the conflicting narratives of history and economy about biodiversity in general, and specifically on forests, the project brought about several public formats such as lectures, video installations and AV performances. The project-as-process shows how different blends of methodologies in artistic-cum-scientific research can become truly relevant for both of their respective realms, opening new creative pathways and pedagogical registers, while repeatedly returning to the local (forest). Moreover, Taming the Forest manifests the need for a new sensibility and complex knowledge, moving beyond the objective study and becoming attentive to different dimensions of research and its outputs that emerge through the introduction of Art Thinking. This becomes crucial in order to tackle the manifold big-scale problems such as climate and biodiversity crises which call for both acting decisively and transforming radically, above all in regards to how we perceive, relate to and manage forests.
xMobil (2021-) is a multi-stakeholder prototype development process of a mobile laboratory in a solar-powered car trailer, assembled mostly of salvaged technology parts and reused materials, geared for investigative-art and DIY/DIWO-workshop applications. Empowering creativity and innovation in off-grid public and remote locations, and promoting autonomous art-science practices as well as creative-community projects, particularly in the realm of environmentalism, it combines the work of artists, designers, architects, researchers and engineers who act as mentors to both students and non-formal learners coming from diverse educational programs, both formal and non-formal. xMobil was conceived by a community of developers and future users representing highly diverse sectors, from industry, independent arts production, natural sciences and education (teachers and students), to activism, and even local governance or cultural policy.
The contribution will eventually raise the issue of visibility, sustainability and preservation of such transitory projects or platforms, where artistic(-cum-scientific) works are based on grassroots research and experimentation, examining their methodological approach as well as their topic-setting as regards the limits of growth, and not least discussing their costs to social and natural ecosystems, increasingly permeated by technology. Keywords: art thinking, ecology, bioeconomy, DIY, autonomy, art and science Published in RUNG: 25.09.2023; Views: 84; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |
2. Dancing sympathy beyond human failure : Artistic Research as Cosmopolitical DefuturingPeter Purg, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: abstract
The article explores the concepts, tools and methods that may be taken on board by artistic researchers when venturing into uncertain futures. The approaching hay-day of Artistic Research calls for a repositioning of this academic and cultural avantgarde that is assuming real power and must thus take clear opposition against dominant politics and corporate capitalism keeping the human and non-human kinds in perpetual crisis. Next to Science and Technology, Art has finally reached a status of an equivalued cornerstone, and within this level playing field a new research-based approach is needed where power relationships, decision-making mechanisms, dominant narratives or prevalent aesthetics are boldly investigated and critically questioned, (re)instituting the importance of artistic disruption and establishing art-thinking as the key to not only question but also design pathways to meaningful change. Deeply intertwined research methodologies ranging from social to natural sciences, from humanities via (critically reflected) technologies to the (technologically emancipated) arts, should be left to safely mingle and mutually inspire. Rather than colonizing it with yet another false supremacy, we should be learning from the Global South, where collective dancing, storytelling or performing still presents a norm of how to generate new knowledge or reach consensus. Artistic Research can contribute to crafting better worlds even once AI entities get accepted as fellow researchers (if not dancers), their agency reflected in an attitude of radical sympathy (re)instituting care, justice and solidarity by ways of sound research activism. Keywords: artistic research, interdisciplinary, posthumanism, art-science-technology, critical Published in RUNG: 15.06.2023; Views: 362; Downloads: 4
Full text (244,53 KB) This document has many files! More... |
3. |
4. Mobility Media: an Archaeology of Identity Photography through Science, Art and Visual CultureEszter Polonyi, invited lecture at foreign university Abstract: In an era of total surveillance, being in possession of a biometric ID document can still result in denial of one’s basic civil protections and human rights. The discovery of systematic errors in state-implemented facial recognition programs—such as in recognizing faces of color (Joy Buolamwini)—suggests the failure of current practices of global intelligence and mobility. This paper offers an archaeological investigation of the contemporary photo ID document. Returning to its invention in the 1920s, it examines the issues of conjectural knowledge (Carl Ginzburg), embodiment or tact (Béla Balázs) and the optical unconscious (Walter Benjamin) behind early “physiognomic” media. Keywords: History of Science, History of Visual Culture, History of Art, History of Photography, Migration Published in RUNG: 13.01.2023; Views: 471; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. Technological and analytical review of contact tracing apps for COVID-19 managementRajan Gupta, Gaurav Pandey, Poonam Chaudhary, Saibal K. Pal, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Role of technology is improving for COVID-19 management all around the world. Usage of mobile applications, web applications, cloud computing, and related technologies have helped many public administrators worldwide manage the current pandemic. Contact tracing applications are such mobile app solutions that are used by more than 100 countries today. This study presents a structured research review-based framework related to multiple contact tracing applications. The various components of the framework are related to technological working, design architecture, and feature analysis of the applications, along with the analysis of the acceptance of such applications worldwide. Also, components focusing on the security features and analysis of these applications based on Data Privacy, Security Vetting, and different attacks have been included in the research framework. Many applications are yet to explore the analytical capabilities of the data generated through contact tracing. The various use-cases identified for these applications are detecting positive case probability, identifying a containment zone in the country, finding regional hotspots, monitoring public events & gatherings, identifying sensitive routes, and allocating resources in various regions during the pandemic. This study will act as a guide for the users researching contact tracings applications using the proposed four-layered framework for their app assessment. Keywords: novel corona virus, location technology, contact tracing applications, Aarogya Setu App, data science, data analysis Published in RUNG: 02.04.2021; Views: 1515; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |
9. Web mining and analytics for improving e-government services in IndiaRajan Gupta, Sunil K. Muttoo, Saibal K. Pal, 2017, independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph Abstract: The ever increasing technology usage and the globalization have given rise to the need of quick, accurate and smarter handling of information by organizations, states, nations and the entire globe. For every nation to be under any form of government, it became mandatory to have shorter turnaround time for their interactions with citizens. This pressure gave rise to the concept of e-Governance. It has been implemented by various nations and even UN reported an increase in E-Governance activities around the world. However, the major problems that need to be addressed by developing nations are digital divide and lack of e-Infrastructure. India started its e-Governance plan through a proposal in 2006 with establishment of National e-Governance Plan popularly known as NeGP headed by Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. As per the Electronic Transaction and Aggregation Layer, millions of transactions are taking place on regular basis. Within 2015 itself, over 2 billion transactions have been carried out by the Indian citizens in various categories and sectors like agriculture, health, and the likes. For central government projects alone, around 980 million electronic transactions have taken place, while for state government projects, the combined total of all the states is close to 1.2 billion. With the kind of data getting generated through e-Governance initiative in India, it will open up lot of opportunities for data analysts & mining experts to explore this data and generate insights out of them. The aim of this chapter is to introduce various areas and sectors in India where analytics can be applied for e-Governance related entities like citizens, corporate and government departments. It will be useful for researchers, academicians and students to understand various areas in E-Governance where web mining and data analysis can be applied. The theoretical background has been supported by practical case study for better understanding of the concepts of web analysis and mining in the area of E-Governance. Keywords: web mining, data mining, e-governance, analytics, data science, public sector Published in RUNG: 01.04.2021; Views: 1553; Downloads: 59
Link to full text This document has many files! More... |
10. Citizen relationship management by the Government of India through social media channelsSaibal K. Pal, Sunil K. Muttoo, 2018, independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph Abstract: This chapter outlines how Citizen Relationship Management (CRM), a concept derived from the more commonly known Customer Relationship Management, can enable a government to create awareness among citizens about the myriad of services provided by the public sector. The system also helps in attracting and recording responses from the citizens, thereby enabling government employees in responding to citizens’ concerns via social media. Keywords: citizen relationship management, e-governance, social media, politics, data science Published in RUNG: 31.03.2021; Views: 1676; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |