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Research

i-DAT’s activities are underpinned by a critical research agenda. It is host to a transdisciplinary research community that comprises practice-based PhD students, supervisory teams (drawn from Science, Technology, Architecture and Art and Design), practicing artists and industrial collaborators. Formerly framed as the Nascent - Art & Technology Research Group, i-DAT’s research activities are central to its core mission.

nas-cent adj. [...coming into existence; emerging,
...a substance at the moment of its formation...].

The symptoms of i-DAT’s Nascent research can be described as collaborative, experimental, practice-based and applied, and embrace intelligent environments, interactive art, ubiquitous computing, sonic architecture and the construction and dissemination of emergent ‘transmedia’ forms.

It explores the transformative potential of digital technology (hardware & software), both as a catalyst for the evolution of cultural forms and as a substrate for transdisciplinary research and innovation. In this context digital technology acts as a ‘Rosetta Stone’ for arts/science collaborations and as a critical ‘lens’ for viewing emergent scientific and cultural knowledge.

The key Nascent research question is:

“What are the transformative qualities of digital ‘technology’ and how do these qualities manifest themselves through and within transdisciplinary, practice-based and applied methodologies?”

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i-DAT’s ToolBox and Activities provide a rich context for Full Time and Part Time research students from a variety of disciplines, who can either engage with these major initiatives or build their research activity grounded in their own creative practice. Individual research student profiles can be found on the People page of this site. i-DAT’s nascent research embraces transdisciplinarity as an inevitable consequence and emergent principal of digital practice, where theory and practice / form and content, are reflexively linked.

i-DAT’s research activities critically explore digital practice within art and design and across disciplines where the affordances of digital practice are intrinsic to their evolution. In this volatile and emergent context i-DAT engages with contemporary debates around ‘practice-based’ and applied research methodologies to gain new knowledge through creative practice. Critical and theoretical engagement is seen as essential to an original investigation that employs practice-based research methods or practice-led research that explores the qualities of the practice itself.

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Factory:
The Factory is an integrated set of processes developed by i-DAT to support research, production, management and evaluation methodologies that underpin the development of the i-DAT’s programme, network and the use of the ToolBox: more information:

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Publications:
As well as i-DAT’s research projects, tools and activities a selection of publications, texts and presentations can be found here: more information

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Funding:
Funding for projects, studentships and research assistants has been successfully obtained from a wide range of sources: more information

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Apply:
If you are interested in applying to i-DAT for a MPhil/PhD: more information

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i-DAT Researchers:

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Research Assistants:

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Recent Researchers:

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Images:
1: ‘Constellation Columbia’ Courtesy of The Arts Catalyst. Video: Marko Peljhan. MIR Campaign 2003, Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Russia”.
2: Arch-OS design teleconference (USA-UK). Peter Anders, Roy Ascott, Martin Beck, Mike Phillips.
3: Inflatable dome, Shaun Murray and Pete Carss.
4: Arch-OS Core.
5: Arch-OS workshop. People with Slothbot simulation.

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