The artist Georges Braque once declared that “art is meant to disturb. Science reassures”. My ideal is that art and science together should disturb, not as disillusion, but as a way to strengthen social reflections and the ethical ethos in qualitative research – in order to propose paradigms which are sustainable and congruent with the life forms and resources of our planet, which are currently exposed to ecological and virus crises.

Venke Aure, Professor ‘Art Didactics, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway, 2020, 151, in ‘Exploring Eco-Social Art Strategies to Expand Onto-epistemological and Methodological Positions in Qualitative Research’, Renewable Futures – Olsofjord Ecologies – Artistic Research on Environmental and Social Sustainability, 3 (18) 135-152.

I was surprised and delighted to be contacted by Prof. Venke Aure, from Norway earlier this year. She was interested in my creative practice and doctoral research that evolved The Hollywood Forest Story eco-social art practice and my thesis The Ecological Turn: Living Well with Forests To Articulate Eco-Social Art Practices Using a Guattari Ecosophy and Action Research Framework (Fitzgerald, 2018).

Looking at Venke’ research, I introduced to her to some of my more recent papers from last year, and in particular, my exploration of the importance of Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht’s work on formulating the characteristics of a more ecological era, The Symbiocene, to frame advances in eco-social art practice. Venke concludes:

I believe that being both theoretically and artistically explicit and reflective is necessary to get our voices heard regarding questions that can have an impact on local and global, ecological and social transformation. Acting like this, eco-social art practice and theory can contribute as a platform to develop extended onto-epistemological and methodological positions in qualitative research. (ibid, 151)

Busy as I was developing and delivering my first online ecoliteracy courses when Venke wrote to me, I was really delighted to see the final essay a few weeks ago, amidst a substantial overview of artistic research on environmental and social sustainability from Norway and across Europe.

You can see Venke’s article that explore’s my and others’ work here. If people are interested in seeing the whole journal, please contact me.

I’m also delighted that one of Venke’s MA art researchers will be joining my next 6-week Haumea online Ecoliteracy Course in September. How fantastic to be part of others’ creative and eco-social learning that responds to distant Oslofjord Ecologies 🙂