Objective
Information and communication technologies have widely changed our cultural forms and expressions of coexistence, cohabitation and dialogue over recent years. As electronic and physical space becomes further intertwined, new spatial articulations of competing cultural narratives, cultural rifts, conflicts and clashes begin to surface. In view of the emergence of contested spaces across Europe the proposed research aims to conceptualise and to put into practice sustainable models of networking between cultures to develop a more inclusive society. In doing so, the research project investigates spatial practices of experimental or innovative character (including contemporary art practices), which allow for multi-inhabitation of territories and narratives across cultural boundaries.
These practices will be represented and interlinked in a digital media data bank which will bring together complementary expertise existing in different initiatives and organisations of the entire EU region and will instigate collaborations between these groups. This growing and participatory archive will both empower cross-cultural initiatives and help political decision-makers and municipal or governmental administrations to devise appropriate strategies against emerging spatial conflicts and to spread an understanding of autonomy as a collective phenomenon.
Proceeding on from this data the research aims to conceptualise the knowledge embodied by these new forms of socio-spatial organisation and group interaction and will explore to what extent they reflect and generate new epistemological models. In particular, it will investigate how the examined spatial practices can reduce our dependence on fixed and separated knowledge while giving us the tools to develop new knowledge together. These findings are expected to result in new critical frameworks (and quot; relational theories and quot;) around contemporary knowledge based societies and cultural difference.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
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