Host institution: Lancaster University, UK;   Lead supervisor: Corina Sas: c.sas AT lancaster.ac.uk

Description: This project is built as an extension of artist-in-residence programs aiming to explore the similarities and differences between the artistic repertoire of expressions and the more traditional rational-driven problem solving approaches applied in the creative problem solving process.

This research aims to explore and develop innovative forms of art practice through an artist-researcher’s direct involvement in two creative problem solving environments: academic and industrial. These different settings will offer opportunities for the artist-researcher’s involvement in two types of creative problem solving: scientific vs. industrial-technologic, both encapsulating the tension between conflicting constraints. In the scientific problem solving process, the focus is placed on providing additional metaphors for capturing the conflict, in the form of artistic representations, while in the second case, the artistic representations will aim to address aesthetic criteria such as pleasure and fun rather than functional ones. In both cases, the role of these metaphors and their associated artistic representations will be evaluated in the context of creative problem solving processes. This research will be methodologically supported by a practice-based action research, ethno-methodological and reflection-in-action approach.

Outcomes: The project will develop novel methods for creative problem solving further enhancing the scientific potential of the network. In addition, resulting experimental art project will be exhibited for increasing public awareness of the creative sector and creative education.