ism

For the collection of stories I made several illustrations. I initially wanted to record all the stories in a small booklet and make the drawings manually, to give the feeling of a real journal. This was too much work for this short period of time however and it was very conventional. The underlying web formed by all the links in the collection is something that I particularly like, because it is reminiscent of a choose your own adventure story.

In order to still keep a slight analogue and archive atmosphere I decided to make the illustrations look like they were done with water paint, in faded browns, as if old sepia photographs. I felt this evoked more of a mystic and magical feeling than clean digital vector art would do. The aesthetic of an old journal from the past is somehow more magical to us, which I think is an interesting matter.

As for the subjects of the drawing, they all seem like they could take place in Europe, which is something I embraced because nearly all my stories were from Europe.

The purpose of this archive is to show that magic can still be found everywhere, even in modern day life, in places where you might not expect it. Whereas the woods would be an obvious place for stories of the fantastical, the adjoined houses of your average Dutch neighborhood aren't. Still there are things to explore there, just click on the image and you'll find that the odd can still happen in your own home.

If you don’t stick with one subject eventually you’ll never go in depth. I started my research and just went on and on, switching subjects. They were still in the same field, but I only grazed upon them rather than “implode the object,” or in this case subject. I am quickly distracted by all the other interesting things that are floating around. Next time I will try and settle with a subject sooner.

Involve more disciplines. I find it difficult to reach out to other people, especially those in the academic field. Eventually I did reach out to people for their stories however, and discovered that this was extremely enjoyable and interesting. I loved listening and recording the stories. I’d love to take a step further into this direction and properly archive them.

Accept the values of different kinds of research. I still find myself having the mind set of doing research through reading academic studies being the superior one, even though a big part of my own project was about different methods of knowledge. I let myself be confined by what I think would be approved of by institutions like academies and universities.

What I could improve on/ to keep in mind for next time

Research question:

How can we find an alternative way to tackle the continuous damaging of the earth, while:
(1) not taking on the conceited and saviour like persona of the singular "anthro," but rather as a chthonic force, as suggested by Donna Haraway
(2) not taking on an extreme apocalyptic "end-game" stance.
(3) using methods of "re-enchantment". (term to be further clarified and researched in itself, maybe even rephrased)
(4) taking into consideration Bruno Latour's idea of "we have never been modern"
(5) taking on a trans-disciplinary approach.

Answer:

My attempt to do this was initially by defining Interchantment as a method. In looking for this notion I created, I seemed to be restricted more and more by creating a framework for my method. This limitation was the exact opposite of what I had intended. Perhaps if we really want to achieve what I was aiming for, we should not so much try to pinpoint and define it. I got tangled up in my own ideas.
I did manage to lay a foundation for myself however, how tiny it may be. At least I have a name for my unfinished ideas. I have created an image around it, perhaps only a small comic about the emytology of my word, yet it is something substantial. I now have something I can introduce to others, so their opinions and ideas will co-shape the continuously morphing grasp at Interchantment.

How my publication relates to this:

I would say my story archive is an attempt at Interchantment put to action. Through creating an online environment that makes one aware of the magic in everyday life I have tried to bring a tiny bit of enchantment back into the world. There are traces of trans-disciplinarity to be found in an archive of stories from people, and I hope to expand upon this collection by engaging in new dialogues sparked by this desire to interchant