The Collins + Goto Studio is known for long-term projects that involve socially engaged environmental art-led research and practices; with additional focus on empathic relationship with more-than-human others. Methods include deep mapping and deep dialogue. Recent work involves the cultural meaning of conservation boglands and cutaway peatlands in Ireland Deep Mapping | Lough Boora Sculpture Park (2020). A focus on deep mapping a Caledonian Pine forest in Scotland: Future Forest: The Blackwood, Rannoch Scotland (2015), Sylva Caledonia (2016), Caledonian Decoy (2017). A sculptural instrument PLEIN AIR involves a live tree and translates photosynthesis and transpiration into real-time sound. It was presented in North Carolina (2019) Glasgow (2017) and Cologne (2016). They have also developed relational approaches to climate change integrating empathy, science and technology, The Ethical Aesthetic Impulse (2010), CO2 Edinburgh (2013). Earlier work focused on post-industrial public space and ecological recovery it includes Nine Mile Run (1997- 2000); and 3 Rivers 2nd Nature (2000-2005). Outputs include artworks, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and publications that embrace an arts-led dialogue and deep mapping methods of research-and theory-informed public practice.
They rose to a level of senior research fellows over a period of ten years while working at the Studio for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University. They would move to the UK as Tim accepted a job as associate dean for research and development at University of Wolverhampton where he was also first appointed as Professor of art society and environment. He is the founding director of the Centre for Art, and Design Research and Experimentation (CADRE). Reiko began a funded PhD at the same time at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. As Reiko completed her PhD Tim left academia and they reopened the studio. They have had separate appointments as Visiting Research Fellows, at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh. Tim was later appointed as Honorary Research Fellow, School of Social Science, University of Aberdeen. They have worked together for over thirty years, often collaborating on research, writing and exhibiting with other artists, planners, natural scientists, engineers and technologists as well as historians and philosophers .
Tim Collins
Tim’s Research Interests include aesthetic and ethical ideas about our changing environment with a focus on how art shifts values in relationship to new ideas and experiences. With additional reading and writing about the evolving meaning of nature as informed by science, philosophy, experience and imagination. The area can be understood as socially engaged art practice informed by consensual democratic and agonistic discourse framed by environment.
Reiko Goto Collins
My artistic subject matter is the life of nature.
By contemplating nature I seek to renew my identity.
Research interests include the relationship between humans, living things and environment. Supported by ideas about empathic relationship with more-than-human others informed by the philosophy of Edith Stein. With additional reading in phenomenology and biosemiotics.
