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Designers are becoming ethnographers, while media artists and change managers research similar interactive technologies. All of these people have a hand in a common context, the present-day world and its continually changing conditions. Although their visions and approaches are often very diverse, they all share the same curiosity, a wish to dig deeper under the skin of day-to-day reality. It is this curiosity that is the starting point for becoming a researcher at FoAM. Most of our researchers tend to be 'generalists', rather than 'specialists'. Research at FoAM is conducted through collaborative projects and research residences. Collaborative research projects tend to be larger in scope, usually involving several partner organisations and working towards outcomes with a potentially strong social, environmental, or technological impact. FoAM also offers residencies for transdisciplinary researchers, whose work is associated with FoAM's yearly published research topics. Most of the research occurs within FoAM's laboratory. However, field work is strongly encouraged in order to learn from other practitioners, conduct surveys, or test the (interim) results in real-life situations. Researchers come together to present and discuss their progress during monthly research gatherings, allowing everyone to keep up to date, ask questions, propose suggestions and find unexpected connections.

HapStar

About

Haplotype Networks and Minimum Spanning Networks are commonly used for representing associations between sequences. HapStar is a tool for viewing both types of networks, and is designed to directly use the output data generated from Arlequin. HapStar is unique in that it automatically lays out the network for optimal visualisation, and provides the option to calculate a Minimum Spanning Network from a list of alternative connections. HapStar provides a user-friendly interface, and publication-ready figures can be exported simply.

qfwfq

"…the ubiquitous Qfwfq, is emblematic of unity amidst the heteroglossic variety of possibilities offered by expanded degrees of perception made possible by scientific devices. In one story, Qfwfq is a dinosaur, but in other stories he is also a fish, a small mammal, a subatomic particle eternally plummeting through the void. Qfwfqs constantly shifting position in the universe, despite his consistent first-person narration, suggests the extent to which his form accommodates his point of view.

sutChwon

SutChwon (or Subject to Change without notice) is a continuous inquiry into software protocols and systems for remote collaboration, design and performance. It is a supporting initiative that develops through, with and as a part of other FoAM activities.

[re:gather]

[re:gather] are monthly research gatherings at FoAM in Brussels.

Research residencies

As a part of FoAM’s research programme, we offer yearly residencies to artists, designers and researchers, whose interests, or methods fall in-between the gaps of academic research programmes. The residencies are meant for artists who are able to work independently, while being open to suggestions from their peers. Our motivation for this programme came from a perceived need of artists and designers for concentrated research and experimentation, without the pressures of production.

LIREC

LIREC aims to establish a multi-faceted theory of artificial long-term companions (including memory, emotions, cognition, communication, learning, etc.), embody this theory in robust and innovative technology and experimentally verify both the theory and technology in real social environments.