Research Catalogue

The Tarot Walk Part of Elinor Rowlands' practice based research in autistic stimming as artistic methodology

This page is under construction It contains material created for and in the context of the research project Gifts from the Sentient Forest at the University of Lapland. See https://www.sentientforestproject.com

PhD in Artistic Research. Expected viva voce / defence in February 2026

This exposition aims to examine the found and experienced environments as an impulse for artistic and pedagogical potentials in performance design. The writer asks, what kind of performance design could be created through scenographic worlding? The exposition presents a research approach to the urban, built environment, which is seen as an impulse, a constant and ongoing potential for performances and performance designers’ work. The topic is contributed with photographs from the writer’s site-sensitive memos. This approach offers perspectives on contemporary scenography and its theories. It is situated in the field of art-based action research, and the intention is to combine performing arts, performance design, visual arts, and pedagogy. The exposition highlights that an observational, experiential, and environmentally oriented way of working may prove more useful in the future; designers encounter applied and nomadic forms of performance design in their careers. How can we create more sustainable performance design, encourage ecocreativity and work towards more sustainable pedagogy?

The presentation focuses on inclusive sensory drawing as a way to observe, notice and interact with non-human species in local nature, imagine their perspectives and reflect on the experience. It is known that many people today feel alienated from nature while on the other hand connection to nature is linked to pro-environmental behaviour. As an artist and art educator I have been wondering how participatory artistic and educational practices can reinforce the emotional and physical connection with nature, how to create conditions for perceiving the intertwinedness and mutual dependence, moreover, what could be the role of art and art education in the post-growth conditions. Drawing is not a new method for observing nature, but I find the inclusive drawing activities to be relevant to facilitate creative nature experience in contemporary context. As an artist, I have been using sensory drawing and realised how using the pencil and brush as facilitators help me to concentrate, slow down, notice interactions and sense myself as a part of the ecosystem. I have used the embodied and situated artistic thinking as a source for drawing walks and workshops in gardens, forests and parks and introduce some of the simple exercises in this presentation, asking how and which drawing and painting approaches facilitate active engagement with the environment and what is the intersection between artistic practice, environmental and artist pedagogy. I describe the specifics of four methods. These kind of curated nature experiences offer possibilities to recognise other beings, their relationships and ourselves as related to them through actions and reflections.

xeno-/exo-/astro -choreoreadings is a postdoctoral artistic research project that explores research questions that reopen site- and place-responsive choreographic practices by expanding the notions of ‘site’ and ‘place’ to outer space. The prefixes in the title refer to planetary conditions to which I do not have direct access. Another key choreographic exploration focuses on embodying hyper-reading and examining the impact of digital reading on embodied artistic practice. Hyper-reading refers to a computer-assisted, screen-based reading practice that has become common in contemporary daily life globally. It connects the reader to the limitless cyberspace. The research project blends these two spatial dimensions, in which the examination of the notions of choreography and choreoreading happen. The research process is multidisciplinary and hybrid in nature, producing artworks, traces, and reflections. The results are presented in this exposition as artworks and as reflections on the choreographic practice that this process has clarified. Download Accessible PDF