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Collecting and Connecting

Collecting

and

Connecting

quoteThis workgroup maps the often-invisible regenerative material and digital practices already embedded in existing cultural and creative networks. Through surveys and collaborative sessions, it surfaces latent forms of circularity as well as gaps and challenges. As a counterpoint to technocratic diagrams like the butterfly model, this counter-mapping centers lived knowledge, collective infrastructures, and emerging patterns of care, aiming to support transitions toward more cohesive, viable, and ecologically grounded creative practices.

questionThis workgroup furthermore examines how research methodologies from across the work packages can be shared with the consortium’s diverse communities and geographies. In traditional lab environments,documentation preserves experiments, ensures comparability, and leaves a research trace. But keeping a record is also a means to claim ownership over the results. This worgroup aims to question this notion of ownership over knowledge. An iteration of the open-source publishing tool Etherport will be integrated into the project to support collaborative documentation of workshop activities. Originally developed by Gijs de Heij and

the Institute of Network Cultures (INC) within the SIA-RAAK-funded research project Going Hybrid!, Etherport is actively maintained and used by various research communities such as the Institute of Network Cultures and Amateur Cities. With the INC set to close in 2026, Etherport is seeking a new hosting organization.

Aligned with the themes of this application, the Connecting Otherwise consortium supports the collective maintenance of Etherport, and the diverse artist/design research communities it serves. In accordance with circular principles, this WP adopts Etherport as a case study in regenerative, commons-based digital infrastructure—prioritizing care and continuation over the creation of new tools. The aim is to develop Etherport with a stronger focus on sustainability and accessibility, and for long-term integration into art and design research. A workshop for GRA/SI students will support adoption and encourage broader use across

partner institutions. Additionally, by using the tool to document this project across different partner institutions, we aim to encourage its broader use. With INC’s discontinuation it will be important for Etherport to establish a stable, distributed user base.

We plan to expand Etherport’s capabilities to specifically facilitate workshop documentation. This builds on H&D’s work for the Energy Storage research group (co-led by Dorine van Meel, WP 2), where they developed the LabJournal tool using similar technology.

The documentation tools will support the entire research process, enabling the development of a hybrid publication. Insights from the various WPs will directly inform the evolution of the publishing infrastructure — such as WP 3’s work on small file publishing will inform how images and media are compressed for lighter publication on Etherport.

Questions:

• What existing material and regenerative practices are present within participating organizations and their wider networks, and how can these be surfaced through artistic and community-based counter-mapping methodologies?

• How can counter-mapping and alternative aesthetic strategies challenge dominant representations of circularity, fostering more nuanced, politically engaged understandings in cultural and community contexts?

• In what ways can circular approaches to digital infrastructure and documentation—emphasizing community governance, local hosting, and open dissemination—support shared ownership, accessibility, and sustainable stewardship within cultural organizations?