Obtaining Knowledge

Is knowledge only defined by empirical proof, or can it also be measured in a cup of tea by our senses, movements and instincts?

On April 18, Kat Austen, Artist-in-Residence at the Faculty of Math and Physical Sciences, University College London, tackled two questions while presenting on approaches to knowing about the world and our place within it: “What exactly is knowledge?” and “Why is it important?”

According to Austen, knowledge is material that is obtained through experience--informing the actions we take in life, and our relationships and decisions in our environment.  

One experience Austen talked about delivering was in form of an interactive installation, Flows 2.0. In the guise of a standard conference refreshments dispenser, it explores the trade of tea by “incorporat[ing] crowd-sourced audio recordings from significant points involved in the tea trade from around the globe.” Listeners are immersed in the soundscape of tea production, gaining knowledge as their tea steeps.

Continuing forward with projects that use mixed-media and multi-media sculpture and installation, as well as sound-oriented installations,  Austen hopes to inspire, through intellectual, experiential and sensory ways, insight into the complexities of existence--a new way of knowing.

(Text by: Leidy T.)