About

The Art and Design Research Lab (arderes lab) critically approaches art and design historical research and explores how it can be applied to creative practices and theory that respond to contemporary challenges.

During the beginning of the current decade Art and Design disciplines and sectors were challenged by socio-political transformations. In a changing environment, it was the cultural and creative sectors that provided an inclusive, self-reflective, and open space for people to continue creating, collaborating, innovating for a better future. This context creates the need to re-open the discussion about art and design’s value to society and reconsider the role of humanities in the current academic environment. To this aim the Art and Design Research Lab acts as a research platform for the creation of interdisciplinary synergies.

The Lab critically approaches art and design historical research and explores how it can be applied to creative practices and theory that respond to contemporary challenges.

We are particularly interested, but not limited, in the following research topics:

  • The development of Art and Design research, with a particular emphasis on history, and how that is applied in practice and education.
  • The influence of colonialism, post-colonialism and de-colonialism on art and design history, practices, and education.
  • The public use of art and design research and educational practices to tackle contemporary social challenges (e.g., climate change, threats to democracy, gender equality, pandemics, technologies).
  • Pedagogical approaches to art & design research and education in order to generate new learning opportunities for digital native students.
  • Digital approaches to art and design historical research and education.

Through a network of collaborations and critically informed projects and activities, the Lab generates scholarly research and cultivates a culture of research in art and design for postgraduate students and early career researchers.

The lab is affiliated with the UNIC | Department of Design and Multimedia.