Meaningful Artistic Research: artistic work as a source of knowledge
At the end of January 2025, the University of Humanistic Studies organised the third conference of the International Care Ethics Research Consortium (CERC) on “Care, Aesthetics, and Repair”. Researchers, artists, scientists, performers, and philosophers from around the world came together to explore a fundamental question: What does it mean to care? The conference demonstrated that artistic work is an essential source of knowledge. This was also evident from the contributions from Meaningful Artistic Research, the collaboration between HKU and UvH.
Artistic work is a way of embracing experiences and discoveries that cannot be expressed in words. At the heart of MAR is transdisciplinary artistic research, based on the understanding that art creates unique forms of knowledge for a caring, meaningful, humane society. This was actively highlighted in the panel discussion with the four MAR PhD candidates: Marloeke van der Vlugt, Simona Kicurovska, Mariëlle Schuurman and Esther Willemse, moderated by Merel Visse and Nirav Christophe. Using sensory and physical experiences, the participants explored the concept of “care” and the various qualities that are important in this context.
At the CERC conference, MAR presented the work of two HKU alumni, curated by Marieke Folkers. Parel Strik’s installation “How to Care? Do you Care?” and Naomi Noir’s film “Mother’s Child” showed how caring for each other is a relational act within a complex web of needs, norms and expectations.
Parel Strik
The installation “How to Care? Do you Care?” consists of aprons that Parel made together with her care network: her mother, partner, colleague, best friend, boss and teacher. Through joint activities such as cooking, eating and making aprons, they explored care needs. The aprons serve as a visual reminder of these conversations. To further nurture these relationships, Parel started a correspondence in which she reflects on their encounters and asks for feedback. This exchange promotes shared understanding and deepens the bonds that have been formed. Parel’s installation emphasises the creative process as a form of communal engagement, where time spent together is more important than deadlines. As they sew, eat and talk, they explore care needs while engaging with the central question: ‘How to care – Do you care?
Naomi Noir
Naomi Noir draws inspiration for her work from bar stories, reality TV, and the painful topics most of us avoid. Her latest award-winning work, Mother’s Child (2024), exposes the everyday complications of having an adult child with special needs. A loving mother and full-time caregiver, every day is a struggle for Mary in the film. Navigating the bureaucratic red tape that comes with providing care has left her exhausted. At the same time, she struggles to fully understand the needs of her disabled, non-communicative son Murphy. After yet another setback during a phone call with an administrative assistant, reality begins to blur. Finding beauty in everyday life has never been so challenging.
Watch the aftermovie
What if we see care as art… and art as care?
This content is available after accepting the marketing cookies.
Related websites:
photo by Thomas de Wit