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Paper short abstract

This paper reflects on the practice of taking seriously the sensitivities encountered in ethnographic fieldwork within the patient organization in Russia. It introduces 'being useful' as a mode of research engagement that provokes the neglected work to come into being and knowing

Paper long abstract

This paper is grounded in ethnographic work in Moscow within the patient organization of people, suffering from multiple sclerosis. It introduces, how public relations repertoire of doing and making a public event can be used to provoke a situation for collective knowing. In this paper, I reflect on the work, the materiality, and the context of "Life of Things Project", an experiment with art-based research intervention, aiming to co-create a space for a collective inquiry into the living with a chronic illness and disabilities. To do so, I, first, introduce the sensitivities of knowing(s) chronic illness and disabilities in Russia. Secondly, I reflect on the practicalities of 'being useful' as a mode of research engagement that provokes the neglected work to come into being and knowing.