Frictions Between the Human and the Surrounding Human-Made Systems
The practice of designer and researcher Irakli Sabekia investigates diverse frictions that arise between the human and the surrounding human-made systems. Some of the topics he has addressed in his projects are spatial justice, migration, labour, and technological infrastructures. Collaboration with various agents involved in the issue at hand is a recurring key component of his process.
In this presentation, he uses two of his ongoing research projects as case studies to share with the community the methods and tools he has developed in order to converse and engage with actors across disciplines and through various barriers.
Firstly, the presentation will showcase the Archive of Spatial Knowledge (2021-persent). The digital archive and the spatial intervention focuses on the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia and examines the impact of the occupying force’s hegemonic spatial practices on local communities. In discussing this research, he will share his experiences and lessons learned from working with affected communities and establishing mutual trust, while at the same time engaging with the humanitarian and development organizations to build a broad network of allies.
In the second part, with the Network Proximity Atlas (2023-present), he focuses on the methodology developed during the ongoing collaboration with the University of Bonn’s Institute of Science and Ethics. The project explores the uneven distribution of the physical infrastructure of the global network and uses the emergent patterns to portray an alternative map of the world shaped by connectivity.
By exploring these two projects his intention is to share with the audience the key ideas that have emerged throughout the development of his practice:
- Principles of conducting fieldwork and the responsibility of working with vulnerable communities.
- Methodology of art-science collaborations.
- Research projects as ‘tools to confront reality’ – how the projects serve me as a means to engage (and cope) with real-world issues.
