This research aims to investigate, from an artistic perspective, the dichotomy between crafts and technology in an epoch of arcane revolutionary developments. Delving into the perpetually evolving interplay between the hand and the machine and encompassing new materialistic as well as posthumanistic ideals, Edu Tarín aims to demystify the imaginary fracture that exists between these two realms.
Historically, craft and technology have been closely intertwined, however nowadays craft is often romanticized as a bodily relic of the past, while technology is envisioned as the evil future that disentangles us from reality. This polarity overlooks the core interdependence of both domains and their shared capacity to shape the thought and action of the future human. As new technologies integrate into craft practices, they introduce an "un-bodied" layer in the making process, calling for a redefinition of the ways in which we prehend the handling of materials, and of the understanding of craft itself.
The methodology involves interdisciplinary crossovers from a postphenomenological perspective, examining cognitive structures of the self within both, traditional and contemporary production methods. Through physical exploration and conceptual analysis around techniques within craft disciplines as well as newer manufacturing processes, Tarín aims to create tangible works that serve as platforms to interrogate the current linearity in the relationship between maker, object, and tool.
Promotors: Thomas Cromez (Academy) and Jouke Verlinden (UAntwerp)
