Jordsans – The Science Park's first industrial PhD by Elise Matilde Malik (2023–2026)
The doctoral project Jordsans is the Science Park's first industrial PhD (2023-2026). The project will involve employees at Vitenparken , Elise Matilde Malik, explore different ways of conveying topsoil through Vitenparken exhibitions. The doctorate is a collaboration with the Centre for Museum Studies and the research community associated with Environmental Humanities at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo.
Multi-sensory curation of topsoil in Science Park's exhibitions
We humans have radically changed the Earth's ecosystems and agriculture, like other nature-based activities, has accelerated the Anthropocene era in which we now find ourselves. Humanistic research on the environment and climate, like natural science research, has the potential to function proactively and contribute to problem solutions. With this project we want to build a bridge between environmental humanities and museology at IKOS, UiO, and Vitenparken Campus Ås, a knowledge and experience center for food, environment and climate.
The project's goals are twofold; 1) explore the Science Park's research dissemination and exhibitions about topsoil through action research based on environmental humanistic perspectives and sensory museology and 2) propose solutions for how to elevate the dissemination of topsoil through multisensory exhibitions and experiences.
As an important part of the project, we take as our starting point the statement “…we consider exhibitions as knowledge-in-the-making rather than platforms for disseminating already-established insights.” from the book Exhibitions as research (Bjerregaard 2020). The project will therefore explore the concept of “exhibition as research” and result in an exhibition, in addition to publications . This exhibition will then be part of the larger bioart exhibition Experience Soils; humus, humans, hope, which is planned to be curated by the Norwegian BioArt Arena (NOBA at Vitenparken ) in 2025 as part of the research project Anthropogenic Soils (led by U. Münster at UiO).
Will "sense wash" the Science Park's exhibitions
In Norway, we spend one and a half billion of tax money on museums and science centers annually, but there is little research in sensory museology on how installations and artworks work on the audience. It is therefore relevant to ask; how do multisensory design elements affect the experience and how can narratives experienced through the senses affect the exhibition experience to ensure that the message of the exhibition and installations reaches the audience? (Hauan and Kolstø, Exhibitions as learning environments: a review of empirical research on students' science learning at Natural History Museums, Science Museums and Science Centres.)
Agriculture, the use of land, is the science, art and practice of cultivating the plants and animals that we will eat. A vital and worldwide food chain that has intertwined nature, culture and technology since the beginning of agriculture. What has shaped our surroundings more radically than agriculture? Yet food production, and not least topsoil, is experienced as an abstract concept by many. Research into plant production, livestock and soil as well. Science and experience centers, such as Vitenparken Campus Ås has taken on the task of raising the general public's understanding of topics such as food, the environment and climate. What steps can be taken to raise the public's experience and understanding of topsoil? The dissemination and communication of food and agricultural research in science centers should be "sensorially cleansed" to restore a stronger bond between people and food.
More information
Contact:
Elise Matilde Malik
elise@vitenparken.no
Instagram:
@meitemark1
Supervisors:
Brita Brenna
Professor of Museology
IKOS UiO
Hugo Reinert
Associate Professor in Environmental Humanities
IKOS UiO
Alexander R. Toland
Professor of Arts and Research
Director and Speaker, Ph.D. Program in Art & Design
Bauhaus University Weimar