‘Practising Landscape’ is a practice-led, action-research project undertaken by 10 members of the Reading Landscape Research Group (1-7 November 2015). Beginning in Glasgow, the journey passed through the Cairngorms, to Abderdeen, Helmsdale and on to Orkney. The choice of route being, firstly, determined through an extensive mapping exercise based on the Reading Landscape research group members sharing knowledge and divergent research-practice interests in specific sites; and, secondly, for its productive connections to an extended network of artists, anthropologists, curators working cross disciplines within specific locations en route.
The project’s methodology incorporated subject specialist-led seminars with external collaborators, discursive workshops, site visits, production of visual materials, photography, documentation and reflexive curation. Related to the Research Group’s pre-set key themes, GSA project participants led individual seminars and dialogues, according to their own areas of research expertise at various stages of the journey (although all were active participants at all times), addressing the following questions:
Q1 How do contemporary art practices engage with (and expand) the theme of Landscape and embodiment?
Q2 How can such practices work within the contested terms ‘identity and remoteness’ in relation to specific locations?
Q3 What is the role of contemporary art in relation to Ecology and sustainability within the Northern Hemisphere?
Q4 Which practical and creative frameworks are needed to develop and sustain interdisciplinary relationships between artists and other experts?
Q5 What cross-disciplinary practice-led methodologies might emerge in response to Landscape and physical layering of history?
Q6 How can a Reflexive curatorial process facilitate and help disseminate a mapping of the research journey?
The project’s Primary Objectives were to:
1) consolidate and build upon identified key research themes through an ‘action research’ journey;
2) establish knowledge exchange and professional networks in relation to specific places;
3) generate material for further research outputs.
These objectives and the journey’s ‘findings’ would also define the research group’s agenda and activities for 2015-16 and beyond.
GSA Research Development Funding was secured for the The Practicing Landscape research journey; the application being jointly made by Susan Brind and Nicky Bird on behalf of the Research Group. A website for the Reading Landscape Group, containing research material generated by the ‘Practicing Landscape’ research journey is in development (2016).