Caring for co-: with knitting practices

This conference presentation address research processes that discusses materiality of artistic practice and its implications. Taking point of departure in the making of a physical artefact, the proposal considers the interplay between making and thinking, encompassing both the human and the non-human, resulting in co-constructed knowledge and meaning through performative and textile practices.

Drawing on artistic research, this work-in-progress presentation discuss the research process of exploring the dimensions of co-knitting performances. Addressing the following questions, the project explores artistic practices that are improvisational and experimental in nature: Which components and tools contribute to the phenomenon of co-knitting? How can partnership of playful improvisation enable novel ways to explore performative textile methods? How can documentation support ongoing exploration of methods for understanding the phenomenon and its various nuanced perspectives?

With this proposal we introduce co-creative knitting practice, where yarn serves as a mediator for playful improvisation and experimental investigation.