Paper short abstract:

Limited knowledge exists on how distant disciplinary collaborations form and function between artists, scientists, and technologists. This paper, based on a Q-Study of 42 art-science practitioners, explores the social ecology of collaboration as an ITD creative and cultural practice.

Paper long abstract:

Distant disciplinary interactions between artists, scientists, and technologists have been a topic of interest, however, systematic knowledge on how diverse collaborative structures form and function is limited. The current study seeks to address this gap by investigating the social ecology of collaboration between artists, scientists, and technologists engaged in inter/transdisciplinary creative and cultural practice. The study explores the collaborative experiences of 42 participants with the use of Q-methodology, offering a framework for diverse styles of de-disciplined creative collaborations manifesting a complex set of agencies shifting between diverse epistemic cultures. From the data, five thematic narratives emerge which are not mutually exclusive. Three narratives provide a coherent assemblage of collaborative styles characterised by knowledge creation through embodiment and experimentation. These styles invite collaborative cultures, processes and methods conducive for co-creating inter/transdisciplinary knowledge characterized by uncertainty and serendipity. A fourth narrative portrays the collaborative dynamics in creating artworks that critically engage with science and technology. The fifth theme, a bi-polar factor presents the conflicting perceptions on mediated third space in art-science-technology collaborations. This research reveals the influence of art on ITD research and science domains through creative collaborations. The findings contribute to development of radical structural approaches for recombinant disciplinary knowledge cultures.