Highlights Transdisciplinarity

© Florian Dombois, 2023
© Florian Dombois, 2023

    «A kite must be light, so light that the wind can carry it. A kite must stay in the air, which also always swirls, simply through its own presence. You can look at it aerodynamically; or philosophically»

    Florian Dombois in Beat Frank, Skulpturen anwenden im Leben (2023)

      Scientific, Artistic and Creative Output and Impact

      Florian Dombois and Christoph Oeschger, eds., G. Didi-Huberman and L. Mannoni (2023). Movements of Air : the photographs from Étienne-Jules Marey’s wind tunnels (Diaphanes); published in an English translation and in a modified form.

      Esther Mathis produced a series of works for «NZZ Kunst». Titled «Sturm», the series comprises twenty unique serial pieces made of spray-painted aluminium honeycomb (visit the shop; view the NZZ article).

      The Kunstmuseum Thun acquired two works by Tanja Schwarz.

      → Overview «Scientific, Artistic and Creative Output and Impact»

        Promotion of Talents and Careers

        Michael Günzburger successfully defended his doctoral thesis «Mit Chimären drucken» at Linz University of Art and Design. It is the first dissertation to adopt a purely artistic concept of research.

        Helene Romakin defended her doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich and was nominated for the ETHZ Medal.

        Luis Berríos-Negrón, a former PhD student (2020), was appointed associate professor at Umeå University.

        → Overview «Promotion of Talents and Careers»

          Cooperation and Internationality

          Work began on Laboratorio Laguna. Artistic PhD on Sail, a collaborative project involving Biennale Urbana, U5 and Florian Dombois. Every year, twelve international PhD candidates from ZHdK, Uniarts Helsinki,  Berlin University of the Arts and Linz University of the Arts will convene for three weeks in Venice.

          Florian Dombois was invited as an expert to Prague, Iasi, Brussels, Dresden, Stockholm, etc.

          → Overview «Cooperation and Internationality»

            External Funding

            The «Triple Instruments» research project (SNSF, 2022–2026) explores the artistic possibilities of sound kites. As part of the project, performances have been staged in Sils Maria, Bern, Zeebrugge, Berlin, Singapore, etc.

            The cross-departmental Transdisciplinary Artistic PhD Programme received much praise in the swu-Evaluation TP3 as an «internationally highly regarded» and «outstanding example» of such projects (pp. 23–24).

            → Overview «Research Projects»

              Event Highlight

              Convened under the motto «Between Parafiction and Parascience», the second international Wind Tunnel Festival was very well-received. Artistic contributions included works by Wren Cellier, Florian Dombois, Sher Doruff, Giulia Essyad, Zainabu Jallo, Philipp Modersohn, Isabel Nolan, Lucas Odahara, Christoph Oeschger, Belinda Quirke, Helene Romakin, U5 and Vivian Wang (Cared for by ~tilde).

                Noteworthy

                • The 3rd generation of the Filmallmende is now available online and includes contributions by Elodie Pong, Giulia Essyad, Philipp Modersohn and Raqs Media Collective.
                • «Sound Kite Ensemble»: Simultaneous public rehearsals were streamed live in Singapore and Sils Maria. Support was granted by the SNSF and the Swiss Embassy in Singapore.
                • Florian Dombois was appointed artistic advisor at Para la Naturaleza, San Juan (Puerto Rico).

                  Awards and Prizes

                  • Julia Weber: 2023 ZKB Schiller Prize for Die Vermengung  (2022), a monograph based on her PhD thesis.
                  • Tanja Schwarz: Work grant of the Canton of Bern
                  • Esther Mathis: Art-in-Architecture Competition, SPINE, Winterthur Vocational College

                    Reading Tips

                    J. Awad, M. Madej, S. Rau and H. Uthe (eds.): «Blurred Territories: Kunst / Gestaltung / Forschung». Berlin: +dimensions, 2023 (reprint of Florian Dombois, The Venice Obligations)

                        On a Personal Note

                        Eliana Burki (1983–2023): We mourn the loss of fellow artist and colleague Eliana Burki, who passed away unexpectedly on 24 April 2023. The well-known alphorn player was part of the SNSF-funded Triple Instruments project, where she represented the genres of pop, jazz and folk as a senior artist.