As issues around authorship, ownership and the individual in relation to the
collective are renegotiated collaborative models of creative practice are
emerging as a key area of interest at the point where art, research and
diffusion converge. Simon Biggs has been developing aspects of his practice
from within a collaborative approach for some years through a variety of
strategies. Most recently, as Senior Research Fellow at the University of
Cambridge UK, he has been involved in a collaborative project researching
and developing the application of smart materials in the habitable
environment. This involves a team of researchers working within physics,
human computer interaction, architecture, engineering, anthropology and fine
art. The focus of this project has been resolutely on the development of
collaborative methods and a reflection upon these (thus the central role of
an anthropologist) with any thoughts about outcomes secondary to this. It
has also been predicated on a "public domain" approach to intellectual
property. As the research is publicly funded, as is most research and
education in the UK, then any knowledge produced as a result of that
research should remain in the public domain. Whilst authorship of distinct
applications of resulting knowledge can be negotiated between the relevant
project members the basic knowledge infrastructure they are developing will
remain public and will be disseminated as such in various domains.
Simon Biggs
29.02.2004