Public talk : Sharing time: the work of art in a possible World -Tim Ingold
“In the world of possibilities, every work begins with an idea in mind, and ends in its realisation. This is work that cuts across. But the creativity of the possible world is like the wind: it carries on through. Its creativity is no less than that of life itself.”-Tim Ingold
Tim Ingold redefines art not as a finished product, but rather as an active process of creative exploration of the world, which inspires people to engage with it and with each other in a world of fluid possibility rather than fixed outcomes. Our projects at DGI, such as the Visual Assembly and the Carnival, are an attempt to explore this concept.
The talk will be streamed live on the DGI Youtube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the notification when we go live.
About Tim Ingold
Tim Ingold is Professor Emeritus of Social Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen. Tim emphasises that “Anthropology does not just study people, it studies with people.” He has conducted fieldwork among the Saami and Finnish people in Lapland. He has written on the comparative anthropology of the circumpolar North, on questions of environmental perception and skilled practice, and on the life of lines. His more recent work has explored the relationship between anthropology, architecture, art and design.
notes/quotes from livestream:
’to open them up as if they were from the inside’
‘to appear things is what it means to imagine the impossible’
about the sharing in the continuation of the work
creation and attention are both linear.. to appreciate work of art in possible world.. distinction between along/across.. ie: the wind not easy to see though you can make it out.. can feel it.. lean into it.. may have a direction but no point of origin or destination.. on its way to no/everywhere.. it’s time is never straight.. so what if wind had eyes.. blind to objects in actual world.. yet wide open to world of possible.. so the way of art is to see with the eyes of the wind..t
dgi question in chat: [I would be interested in a practical question: How does he envision applying this anthropological rethinking to education in practice — to studying, schooling, teaching, and learning..Could he describe what an ideal educational process would look like..t from his perspective?]
world of the possible is not ready/waiting.. abiding w world.. nothing taken for granted..
between attunement (skilled to listen?) and exposure (living it yourself).. to live we have to get moving.. thus all undergoing begins in exposure.. what began in exposure ends in attunement..
i’ve talked about work of art.. but not how art works.. what can art do.. today in profound alienation.. generation of orphans.. denied resources to build new world in its place..t
an art that lets off steam.. produces an effect that dissipates on contact.. drowned out voices of past/future.. art of now.. can only be brought forth in spirit of love.. need art to teach us how to discover that which we’ve lost..t
could work of art be compared to wind.. critics would be aghast.. ie: every artwork has a date.. ie: modern/contemp.. winds have no date.. art that is truly contemp in sense of shared time is also deeply traditional.. aren’t contemp and tradition diametrically opposed? .. but in possible world.. tradition not locked into past but holds promise of future.. in honoring ancestors.. tradition renews world for generations to come.. it is in the remembering of these ways that art carries on.. ie: reimagine musical work.. every work of art is a lineage carried on.. never finally done.. always doing and redoing..
q&a
tim: impossible to generalize across art.. can’t say art is like this/that.. we need the kind of art that carries on.. i do have art i like .. i like art that has past/future so we can carry on tradition
koshika: i would press on that.. on needing to scream
tim: need to scream.. let’s off steam.. keeps us from going completely overboard.. but that screaming.. it helps us.. but i don’t think it helps others much.. it does help us keep going.. so not wrong to scream.. but we don’t need just that.. have to go beyond that..
nika: want to ask about ed.. describe ideal uni.. what would you do if you had any possible resources.. t
ask me nika.. dang
it’s kind of like visual assembly ness everyday.. with all the resources to do/be the things you come up with.. but important that the ‘ideas’ (curiosities/itches) have to first begin with the individual each day.. before influenced by any one/thing else.. ie: imagine if we ness; a sabbatical ish transition; ..
tim: i led revolution in my uni.. manifesto is published.. ‘aberdeen reclaiming uni’ had a lot of open seminars for couple years and fleshed out what it would be like.. rested on: freedom, trust, ed, community.. 4 pillars ok here is https://reclaimingouruniversity.wordp….. then thinking about what we meant by those things.. freedom is freedom to become.. to go beyond where we are now..
from manifesto link (via nika fb post next day): Under its current regime, this university has committed itself to the business route. Not only does this contravene the university’s duty, as a charitable institution, to disseminate knowledge for the public benefit; it also overlooks its primary responsibility for education and scholarship. To take the civic route will require a complete alteration of course. It will mean rebuilding the university from its very foundations. Whether we participate in the community as students, as researchers and teachers, or as administrative or support staff, we are here to promote truth, justice, virtue and liberty. The kind of university we want is one in which these principles are both thought and taught.
tim: that’s the paradox.. there are all sorts of experimental schools.. but they’re niche.. which only middle class parents can afford to send their children to.. all sorts of things going around at moment.. little plants popping up everywhere.. very difficult to see.. i think that’s the only way we can grow things.. but at moment difficult to see how that’s going to happen
koshika yadava co hosted with nika: the problem is when money is involved each attempt gets appropriated by bad actors..t
be you. 