Pockets of Slime

In this session jointly run with Florian Roithmayr, we were asked to respond to the following questions: Is it possible to talk about materiality in and of itself, without reference to other subject areas? How can we talk about materiality insightfully and intelligently without falling into a dated language of formalism? How does the digital environment affect/influence our material environment, and can we separate the physical from the virtual anymore?

Each session began with an observation of, and interaction with, things/objects/matter. Giving time and space to this specific material engagement and to the conversations and responses (linguistic, sonic, gestural) arising from it, we worked to become responsive to the things/stuff/objects/bodies in front of us. In doing so, we reverse a more familiar use of materials/processes to describe an idea/concept, instead starting with materiality, its unique qualities and processes, to generate language and ideas.

Throughout the sessions we also drew from a broad conversation involving material culture, design, anthropology, material science and physics in order to extend the language of materiality within art practice. In this way, MARs Materiality began with a specific material engagement, whether physical or digital, and ends with a journey all its own.