Forward: Closed Circuit Systems
Written for Krystle Patel Closed Circuit Systems - residency with the Institute of Neurology at UCL, Plun-Favreau lab.
In the context of scientific lab research, the principles of matriarchy, magic, and mapping reveal intriguing parallels and distinctions. Matriarchy, characterised by a matrilineal and female-centric social structure, can be likened to the nurturing and collaborative aspects of scientific teamwork often found within research teams. Similarly, magic, with its mystical and often inexplicable elements, mirrors the transformative and innovative nature of scientific breakthroughs, where the seemingly impossible becomes reality through rigorous experimentation. On the other hand, mapping, which represents structured data representation and analysis, resonates with the meticulous organisation and cataloguing of scientific findings, emphasising the need for precise documentation and charting the unknown territories of knowledge. All three concepts underscore the multidimensional nature of scientific research, highlighting the influences of societal dynamics, creativity, and systematic exploration within the laboratory setting.
For the Closed Circuit Systems residency, Krystle navigated the propositions of matriarchy, magic and mapping through public-facing events, experimental radio takeovers, filmed and manipulated sculptural assemblages, and conversations with institutions, scientists and arts professionals over the course of a year. Kept as placeholders for further explorations into a practice of demystifying the lab, matriarchy, magic and mapping became central nodes to this network of understanding the spaces between the general public and private laboratories, as well as the dynamic of group work and understanding societal relationships to science and scientific research efforts in general. That is to say, navigating the distance between the public and the laboratory by locating, translating and expressing the essence of the group to provide clarity of relationships that form in closed-circuit groups like laboratory researchers.
Often the environment of such research - its language and unspoken rules and codes of conduct - form the basis of the mystery within it. For Krystle, the conditions of her approach can be traced back to the culmination of ongoing group and one-on-one discussions with the diverse members constituting the laboratory. These served as a means to understand the individuals within the group but also to unravel intricate relationships, explore the various paths taken by each member, and discern the underlying structures that bind the collective.
In a departure from the conventional representation of laboratories as clinical, sterile, and strictly professional environments, the members of the laboratory expressed a fervent desire to redefine their image. They transcend the more traditional roles of scientists, embodying a multifaceted persona that extends beyond the confines of their scientific pursuits. Perhaps drawing inspiration from the philosophical works of Deleuze and Guattari, the lab members saw themselves as more than scientists; they embraced a holistic identity that comprises layers of complexity, inviting the public to engage with them on a profoundly human level.
These explorations seamlessly intertwined with the thematic foundations of the residency, resonating with concepts such as mapping. Within this context, the residency delved into the realms of proprioception and feedback, navigating the intricacies of communication at a distance. An additional engagement with science fiction opened areas of fantasy and magic, challenging the conventional frameworks that define our understanding of science and repositioning its role in our collective consciousness.
Another thematic thread that became apparent though was the emotional architecture of the lab. Drawing from the intricate dynamics of matriarchy, the rituals of traditional communities, and the unique interpersonal dynamics within the specific team, these elements collectively contributed to an emotional resonance that shaped the way the laboratory could be understood outside of its appointed purpose.
Ways of knowing exist outside of the factual. As with many forms of othering, the language within the group differs so dramatically from the outside that it alienates. In a search to articulate the laboratory identity, Krystle initiated the creation of a new language for the laboratory from fragments of conversation and the multiplicity of experiences. Composed to be incoherent and muffled, this intentional ambiguity eschews a set and structured definition of what the laboratory or its scientific pursuits entail, allowing the residency to be open-ended, dynamic, and deeply resonant. As a sound-based installation outcome, the creation of this new language revolves around the nuanced boundaries of the body, exploring how a collective communicates and connects through labour and the subsequent implications for the group's structure, as well as its relationship to the site-specificity of such labour. Additionally, the materiality of language was investigated through surfaces, tensions, and the fluidity of forms, which are inherently intertwined within a sensory experience.
To bring this back to the other outcomes of the residency, Krystle interlaced pop cultural references, visuals from old films, music and conspiracy theory into researching the relationship between emotion and information in various different ways.
Ren and Stimpy cartoons, created by John Kricfalusi, serve as a fascinating intersection between animation, the sublime, and sublimation. The animation in Ren and Stimpy is characterised by its deliberate violation of traditional norms and its use of grotesque and exaggerated visuals. This grotesqueness, rather than detracting from the cartoon's appeal, contributes to its unique form of the sublime, evoking awe, fear, and fascination in viewers. Sublimation, a psychological concept involving the redirection of one's impulses and desires into socially acceptable forms, can be seen in the way Ren and Stimpy's over-the-top and often taboo humour acts as a release for societal tensions and taboos. It transforms uncomfortable or unspeakable aspects of human existence into absurd yet acceptable humour, demonstrating the power of animation to engage with the profound and the repressed aspects of human nature, all while providing a form of cathartic release.
Conspiracy theories, scientific papers, the dissemination of information, and the obfuscation of the public are intricately connected in the residency as points of conflict. While scientific papers are intended to provide authoritative, evidence-based knowledge, they are not immune to scrutiny, scepticism, and sometimes conspiracy theories. The ease of sharing information online has led to the rapid dissemination of both scientific findings and unfounded speculations. This open exchange has inadvertently fueled the proliferation of conspiracy theories that can gain traction and obfuscate the public's perception of reality. This obfuscation of facts is often driven by the selective cherry-picking of scientific studies or the misinterpretation of complex research, leading to a mistrust of established knowledge. It underscores the critical need for media literacy and scientific communication to counteract the spread of baseless conspiracies and ensure the public can distinguish between genuine scientific consensus and unfounded claims.
In relation to the way knowledge is disseminated through archives, Krystle’s conversations with Biblioteka and the Architectural Association Archives during her mini residency, gave impetus to the importance of documentation. Documentation as evidence; documentation as truthsayer; documentation as a point of departure for historicising the future. In the world of archives, there's much to be said about how knowledge is created, especially when it comes to space, performance, and who gets to access what. Cataloguing methods often reflect Western biases, leaving out diverse perspectives and new areas of study. Balancing between keeping things safe and making them available, especially in the age of the Web3, provides a contradictory challenge whereby archives are “built on ambiguity and anxiety”. People use archives in all sorts of ways and for all sorts of reasons; for Krystle, the archive as methodology becomes a transient setting for knowledge creation and conservation. Much like the ways in which viral content spreads, words become solidified and preserved through the act of putting them out into the world, especially on the internet (where nobody knows you’re a dog).
In this book, evidence, truths, untruths and experiments are put forward as an instruction manual, a user guide for the tangential nature of the residency. It emphasises the space of learning, which serves as a platform to train, explain, and inform. However, the design of the book diverges from this conventional role, opting for a different approach of dispersed personal stories, additions to conversations made after the fact, and pixelated imagery. This is where the residency program and the publication coalesce, engaging in a creative process of performing truth and trust.