Research | The Cornelius Arts Foundation (TCAF)

Research & Development

TCAF has three overarching strategic goals, which we achieve via our four R&D themes - education, innovation, sustainability, wellbeing.

We work collaboratively, either through our in-house experimental grounds (Ginkgo lab., artist residencies) or in partnership with frontline initiatives and organisations.

Methodology

Our Research

TCAF recognises the existence of research on the benefits of art, which it defines in a broad sense. However, we are looking to challenge on one side an exclusively academic approach to knowledge and on the other side conclusions deriving from empirical observations in the field.

We do that by equally focusing on research and on experimentation. Our approach is to trial and develop practical solutions for the benefit of the general public, linking research and development.

We are further set apart by the following attributes:

International, multilingual and multicultural
Multidisciplinary and transversal
Unconventional and open to trialling new methods
Aimed at providing robust findings and tangible solutions
Committed to lasting (sustainable) impact for the benefit of the public and future generations
Deployment of digital tools

Our R&D goals

We have three overarching goals connecting our focus themes on the specific ways in which art is transformative:

Build and disseminate knowledge by testing existing knowledge, developing tools and methodologies to capture data and evidence
Establish effective and lasting collaboration between art organisations and other sectors, such as academia, the third sector, government agencies, civil society, and corporations
Provide informed leadership on key issues affecting the arts

Experimentation and engagement grounds

Commissioned research
Ginkgo lab.
Residencies
Workshops
Conferences, symposia
Public restitution and community events

Methodology

Digital Realm

New paradigms

We favour a new model of cultural and creative service organisations that are conceived as open platforms to address the big social challenges of our time.

We believe in digital commons and networked digital infrastructures, which

allow through voluntary cooperation the production of shared value and
are accessible to participants (contributors and users) of different sizes, resources and technical skills

Our Vision

We aim to build an open infrastructure to embed R&D features and lasting solutions distributed through digital twins and meta verses.

We are at prototyping stage with Ginkgo lab.: join us!

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Digital Realm

Our engagement strategy: the 3 'E'

Ginkgo lab. embodies a holistic engagement strategy centered around the transformative power of art and nature. We are building a community of purpose informed by shared values and a rigorous method.

Our approach is defined by the 3 Es:

Exceptional Experience: We craft immersive public art programs and residencies set within inspiring natural and heritage sites, both on-site and online. Our goal is to connect audiences deeply with the environment, history, and creativity, offering experiences that are both enriching and reflective.

Interdisciplinary Experimentation: Experimentation lies at the heart of our mission to foster learning and innovation. We employ a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral R&D approach that integrates cutting-edge technology. By harnessing tools such as IoT, spatial web, sensors, and smart data, we create environments where new ideas can be tested and refined. This tech-driven experimentation allows us to measure impact in real-time and continuously improve the ways in which art and nature can contribute to global health, education, sustainability, and social innovation.

Omnichannel Exchange: We foster multifaceted exchanges, enabling reach and capacity building across diverse sectors and countries. This platform serves as a conduit for sharing innovative ideas, best practices, and research findings on the role of arts and nature as catalysts for social impact. Through immersive digital spaces—from AR and VR to metaverses—we aim to connect stakeholders, ranging from policymakers to philanthropists and corporations, to ensure that knowledge and experiences are not only shared but also actionable in real-world applications.

Experience

Offline and online

The Ginkgo lab. initiative is anchored in creating immersive and transformative experiences that bridge the gap between art, technology, and societal challenges.

Scottish Impressions, the inaugural exhibition we are coproducing with the Fleming Collection and Longhouse at Maison Berthe Morisot in Bougival, France, serves as a dynamic prototype, drawing visitors into a dialogue between Berthe Morisot, a pioneering Impressionist, and her Glaswegian contemporaries.

This experience is enriched by the Berthe's Brush at Bougival (BBB) game, an online serious game designed by us—and developed by Impactoverse—not only to educate about the Impressionists and ignite creativity but also to foster a deep sense of well-being among participants.

By integrating physical and digital spaces, Ginkgo lab. ensures that every interaction—whether onsite or online—is a meaningful exploration of art, nature, and innovation.

Experimentation

Measuring engagement impact

In the spirit of the Impressionists' innovation, 'Scottish Impressions' and 'BBB' transcend a conventional exhibition or game. Visitors, both onsite and online, are invited to engage deeply with their emotional responses at pivotal steps of their journey.

Through puzzles and a simple yet effective tool—an emoji mood tracker—participants can reflect their evolving feelings. These visual representations of mood, ranging from joy to sadness and from anger to tranquility, are seamlessly integrated into the visitor’s journey, capturing the transformative power of art and nature. This interactive element not only enriches the experience but also contributes valuable data to ongoing research on the holistic health benefits of artistic and natural environments.

Exchange

Capacity building

In collaboration with Longhouse, we are curating a dynamic engagement programme that extends beyond the exhibition and game.

This will facilitate ongoing dialogue and exploration of the lessons learned and research findings from the prototype. Through workshops, discussions, and digital forums, we aim to build capacity and foster a deeper understanding of how the intersection of art, nature, and technology can drive meaningful impact. This continuous exchange will empower stakeholders to apply these insights in diverse contexts, ensuring that the legacy of the Scottish Impressions exhibition and the BBB game extend far beyond their initial display.

Residencies

Our Approach

Our review of the international literature and evidence on the transformative power of art demonstrated that, despite the repeated use of residencies by arts organisations, the cultural sector lacks an understanding of the specific ways in which residencies are transformative.

For example, in the Policy Handbook on Artists’ Residencies (2014), whose goal was to provide an analysis of the value of artists’ residencies and to identify examples of good practice, the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) group of European Union Member State experts on Artists’ Residencies put together a set of recommendations. Among them, they acknowledged that there is a need for better evaluation of artists’ residencies and better collection of standardised data and statistics.

This working group identified a set of recommendations for cultural organisations and participant artists, such as:

Ensure good evaluation
Produce documentation and generate feedback to inform future practice
Develop new and sustainable networks in order to create greater impacts and legacies

TCAF aims to contribute to fulfilling these gaps with both its R&D work and its own residencies in France.

Use Case

TCAF was commissioned by the Goethe-Institut UK to develop an extensive, multi-method evaluation of its Goethe at LUX arts residencies (2017). The main goals of the evaluation were, first, to identify the intrinsic value of the residency for its selected artists; second, to identify the value of the residency for the broader context of the residency and the Goethe-Institut’s institutional strategy.

In doing so, we also tested the relevance of the methodology that was previously applied in the evaluation of another Goethe-Institut residency (Villa Kamogawa), as discussed in its Culture Works brochure (2016).