'Material Agency and Meaning' was an online seminar involving artist/researchers Justin Carter and Onya McCausland in conversation with Geographer Dr Danny McNally about recent projects involving material extracted from the landscape. Avoiding the traditional monologic approach to presenting work, Justin and Onya instead tried to build a shared dialogue framed by a small selection of relevant images used as wayfinders. In keeping with the speakers’ practices, the intention was for the conversation to be open and fluid, allowing ideas to emerge through conversation and exchange. This symposium explored various approaches to engaging with materials as active agents within the art making process.

The session was chaired by Dr Frances Robertson and was subsequently re-interpreted by Dr Danny McNally for publication in the online critical review 'The Drouth'.

Material Agency and Meaning was the first part of Practicing Landscape: Landscapes of Energy and Extraction – a series of four public seminars organised by the Reading Landscape Research Group, formed by artist-academics from the GSA.

This seminar was organised by the Reading Landscape Research Group who invited Justin Carter to plan a seminar session around research interests and to invite an external contributor. In dialogue with Onya McCausland Justin Carter then invited Dr Danny McNally to be part of that shared dialogue and in order to extend the audience for these ideas we connected with The editors of The Drouth who had perviously invited Justin Carter to contribute in some way for their upcoming COP26 edition.

• https://www.thedrouth.org
• https://www.gsa.ac.uk/life/gsa-events/ev...