Currently, we are witnessing a major shift from art and culture to creative industries, implying a shift from a traditional paradigm of aesthetics (literally: perception) to a technology-oriented paradigm of making. New products are often developed out of a logic of makeability, with limited attention for critical reflection on their social consequences. We therefore need a new creative practice that combines the critical reflection that is central to artistic research with the technology-driven culture of making. To this end, we propose to appropriate the concept of Critical Making. Coined by Canadian designer Matt Ratto in 2008 and laid out in a series of MIT Press books, this concept has so far been closely tied to FabLabs and artists media labs, while articulating a more critical position within the overall Maker movement. In our project, Critical Making will be researched and developed further in the context of critical theory and the discourse of artistic research in order to address creative practices in which art, design and technology fundamentally and practically intersect. The ultimate objective is to develop products and services that are not only "smart" by label, but truly "smart" in respect to the critical reflection that went into their making. Therefore, our main research question is: How can the concept of Critical Making be expanded into a general approach that ties the critical methodology of artistic research, and the established concepts of artistic autonomy, together with contemporary creative-technological development?

Digitization led to the construction of 21st century creative industry as a hybrid of art, design and technology in which 20th century art and culture have largely been subsumed. This has shifted attention from aesthetics (‘perception’) to a technology-oriented paradigm of making. Where creative industries contribute aesthetic surplus value to products and services, this often implies a simplified notion of aesthetics as beautification that limits the innovation that artists and designers can contribute to society. How can 21st century creative practices–art, design, technological making–overcome this industry logic of techno-optimistic makeability and aestheticized products? We propose to research and practically explore a critical notion of making as an alternative. Bringing together critical contemporary art practices and artistic research with today’s design and technology, this project will foster critically informed creative practices. Therefore, we appropriate the concept of Critical Making. Developed by designer Matt Ratto in several MIT Press books, this concept has been tied to FabLabs and artists’ media labs. In our project, Critical Making will be researched and developed in a broader context of critical theory and artistic research in order to address creative practices in which art, design and technology fundamentally and practically intersect. Existing Critical Making practices will conversely inform the arts on Open Source models of collective authorship and alternative intellectual property. The objective is to develop a theory and practice of making products and services that are truly ‘smart’ thanks to the critical reflection that went into their making.

Increasingly, theorists, artists, and even politicians, become aware of the importance of sound in society. Sound has profound effects on human beings. This importance is acknowledged by academia. There is a vast literature on the history, sociology, and philosophy of sound, and more and more conferences on this topic are being organized, yet it remains conceptually fragmented. Direct proof is the lack of an international, comprehensive (academic) journal. This is a very serious omission, one that severely frustrates a steady development of the field of sonic studies. The Journal of Sonic Studies is launched in order to fill this gap. It provides a platform that gives focus to the field of sonic studies, that enables theorists and artists to learn from each other, and facilitates discussions related to auditory culture.

Leiden University’s Faculty of Humanities is dedicated to the idea that the increasing technologization and globalization of Dutch Higher Education are causing a need for new transferable digital skills. One such skill is the use of machine translation for academic purposes. The aim of the project is to develop, implement and evaluate a learning trajectory and online toolkit for machine translation teaching and research for all BA students in the Faculty of Humanities. The learning trajectory will show students the many opportunities machine translation offers for academic purposes. It will empower them to use machine translation effectively to find and understand sources written in foreign languages, and to use it responsibly to prepare their own assignments and papers. The toolkit offers modules on theory and research, as well as practical training in using different online systems and correcting and revising output. The toolkit includes a Research Hub providing information on current international research in machine translation, as well as access to the research carried out by students and staff at Leiden University in the implementation of the new learning trajectory. The toolkit also includes materials to make students aware of the potential dangers and ethical implications of using machine translation systems, not only within higher education but also in professional and informal contexts. The knowledge and skills acquired ensure that students become critical, responsible and effective users of machine translation, who are able to use their Machine Translation Literacy to create a more inclusive and diverse academic multilingual community.

Research into the relation between art and propaganda in de 21st Century, in the following order: (1) To clarify the relationship between politics, ideology and propaganda, focusing on the conception of propaganda as a sociological phenomenon. (2) To clarify how contemporary cultural production is defined within the realm of contemporary propaganda, taking examples from the world of popular culture, commercial enterprises and urban development. (3) To clarify how contemporary art is part of above definition of propaganda, taking examples from renowned contemporary artists, art institutions and art manifestations. (4) To clarify how contemporary art acts critically within or in relation to this concept of propaganda.