Research unit Inter-Actions

Inter-Actions – situated at LUCA School of Arts in C-Mine Genk - bundles a series of research groups which focuses on design and artistic research, evoking inter-actions between people, domains and disciplines, while exploring the possibilities of old and new materials, artefacts, media, spaces and events.

By separating “inter” from “actions”, the unit stresses that its research wants to stimulate people “acting (actions) together (inter)” in cross-disciplinary or participatory set-ups.

Inter-Actions thus focuses on:

1. The human and social aspect of design and art, but at the same time the unit also explores
2. The material and technological potential of objects or media for provoking different interactions.

More specific, Inter-actions combines three groups, with a fairly long tradition – in the context of the KULeuven Faculty of the Arts - in addressing the above two topics, being Play and Game, Social Spaces and Re-Visionary. The research teams are composed of interdisciplinary teams, gathering designers, (media) artists, engineers, social and cultural scientists, psychologists, philosophers,... They are intensely engaged with the potential “users” and “audience” of their research and practice, involving them as participants in their projects.

The academic orientation of these research groups guarantees that more fundamental design and artistic research can be performed that does not need to be immediately valorised in the market and thus may lead to unexpected results.

At the same time, the hands-on character of doing applied “design and artistic” research makes their research relevant for cultural, industrial,... professionals.

Steven Malliet

Head research unit: niels.hendriks@luca-arts.be