Department of Search

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The Department of Search aims to insert artistic thinking and doing into the context of the Utrecht Science Park. The Department of Search is not about “re-search”, but is inspired by the contemporary notion of the search query, and ultimately a well-formed question which results in the discovery of useful information. The Department's mission is to foster the search for unknown or "sticky" questions by supporting artistic experimentation, breaking rules and conventions, and making mistakes. The Department explores and intervenes in the semi-public space of the Science Park, creating tangible prototypes in the landscape whilst also developing a network of scientists, artists, and members of the public. The Department has initiated various search projects on the Utrecht Science Park campus, including a field of giant corn grown by 200 people on campus. This is a working prototype in the campus landscape which tests the possibilities of local productivity and resourcing.

 

Most recently, the Department of Search has produced the Zero Footprint Campus, a project involving twelve artists conducting artistic research at Utrecht Science Park. Each artist is questioning the kind of footprint we wish to leave for the future, using local materials and contexts as their inspiration. Through the process of artistic experimentation these local sources are given new value and space to express new visions of the campus of the future.

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Location: Science Park Utrecht
Production team: Carlijn Diesfeldt, Monique Dirven, Eveline Mulkhuyse, Antwan Cornelissen, Gary Sheikkariem, Cynthia Hathaway, Melle Smets, Nicoline Meyer
Collaborations / Artists
Bureau d’études (Léonore Bonaccini & Xavier Fourt – FR) , Cynthia Hathaway (NL/CA), Arne Hendriks (NL), Maarten Vanden Eynde (BE), Guido Marsille (NL), Melle Smets (NL) i.s.m. Kris De Decker (BE), Annette Krauss (DE) i.s.m. Hilde Tuinstra (NL), Laura Pardo (CO) , Monnik (Christiaan Fruneaux & Edwin Gardner - NL) , Helmut Smits (NL), Laurent Tixador (FR), Roel Roscam Abbing (NL), Rolf Engelen (NL)
Funding: Gemeente Utrecht, Stiching Science Park Utrecht, Universiteit Utrecht, Stichting Doen, Art of Impact