Experimentation is the process by which certain operations are carried out to discover, verify, or demonstrate specific phenomena. It is also a way to test, try out, or assess a product for subsequent validation. Experimenting can also be related to a form of active learning that leads to new perceptions or sensations.

In the realm of architectural and artistic research, design itself is a laboratory—a testing ground—where different methods and creative processes intersect, yielding new knowledge. Tamke, Nicholas, and Thomsen (2017) distinguished four distinct characteristics of experiments: speculation (‘a way of posing questions’), reflection (‘a means to produce ideas’), evaluation (‘external testing’), and interface (‘an interface that provides common ground for interdisciplinary collaboration’).

This edition of CA2RE proposes to explore the concept of experiment in the most varied and open way possible. It seeks to demonstrate its validity as a design-driven methodology particularly focused on artistic and architectural practice. The experiment understood as a method of knowledge creation, can establish itself as the difference between creative practice and practice-based research (Zupančič, 2020).

All these reflections fit into the city of Valencia's current context, which will be the European Green Capital in 2024 and has been chosen as one of the 100 cities to follow the European Climate Mission roadmap. Researchers are invited to consider experimentation as a factor fostering new and innovative approaches for creation in artistic and architectural research, which generates bridges between academia and practice and contributes to the New European Bauhaus values.

The event invites researchers from diverse fields of design-driven research at any stage and context to apply for presenting and discussing their projects at the conference. New, original, and unpublished contributions from all relevant fields and disciplines are welcome: architectural design, urban design and planning, sustainable development, interior design, landscape architecture, music, performing arts, visual arts, product design, social design, interaction design, and others.

Participants will have 60 minutes to present their project and discuss their work with an international panel. Papers and artifacts of selected participants will be published in the conference proceedings through the Universitat Politècnica de València online repository (with ISBN).

References:

• Tamke, Martin, Nicholas, Paul and Ramsgaard Thomsen, Mette. “What does it mean to make an experiment?” In: Verbeke, Johan (ed.). Impact by designing. Proceedings of the 3rd ARENA Annual Conference, 6th-7th April 2017 at KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture, Campus Sint-Lucas, Brussels. Leuven: KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture, Sint-Lucas Campus. 2018, pp. 219 – 238. https://arch.kuleuven.be/onderzoek/publicaties/copy_of_2018-proceedings-impact-by-designing-sec.pdf.
• Zupančič, Tadeja. “Design as a Hybrid Driver of Research”. In: Fabrizia Berlingieri, Pier Paolo Tamburelli, with Chiara Pradel, Beatrice Balducci, Francesca Zanotto, Enrico Miglietta and Claudia Mainardi (ed.). Ca2re/ca2re+ Community for Artistic and Architectural Research / Collective Evaluation of Design Driven Doctoral Training: Comparison: Book of Abstracts. Milano: Politecnico di Milano, CA2RE and CA2RE+, 2020, pp. 30-32. https://ca2re.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CA2REMILANO-position-paper-ZUPANCIC.pdf

IMPORTANT DATES

• December 15, 2023: Publication of Call
• January 15, 2024: 1^st Stage Submission (Link to submissions)
• February 26, 2024: Notification of Acceptance + Registration Opens
• March 25, 2024: Registration Deadline
• April 1: Book of Abstracts + Program Publication
• April 11-13, 2024: Conference
• April 29, 2024: Certifications of Attendance/Participation + 2^nd Stage Submission
• June 3, 2024: Conference proceedings

1^st STAGE SUBMISSION

For the first stage submission, the applicants are asked to provide:

• an extended, illustrated abstract (from 800 to 1200 words; max 2 pages including images)
• a short reflection on the importance and role of EXPERIMENTATION in the research project (max 250 words)
• a short CV (max 100 words).

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Débora Domingo-Calabuig & Mar Muñoz-Aparici

VENUE

School of Architecture – Universitat Politècnica de València

FEE

The registration fee is 100€