Research Seminar: Dervla Baker on “field Work: Documentary as Scientific Enquiry”. Tue 11 Feb @4.15pm

4 Feb 2025

This talk explores the documentary medium as a form of scientific enquiry, examining its potential to uncover overlooked urban ecologies and advocate for ecological renewal and protection.

Drawing on Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concept of the rhizome (A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, 1988), as well as theories of essay writing and essay filmmaking, the discussion investigates how interconnected, non-hierarchical storytelling can create multi-layered, multi-species narratives of urban environments. This approach aligns with Vanessa Machado de Oliveira’s assertion (Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism, 2021) that some stories function as dynamic entities, reshaping perceptions and moving through time in non-linear ways (p. 46).

Dervla Baker is an artist, filmmaker, and photographer based in Cork City. Her work explores the intersections of art, science, and ecology, using visual storytelling to examine themes of biodiversity, climate resilience and multi-species perspectives. With a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and Photography from Crawford College of Art and Design and an MA in Film and Screen Media from University College Cork, she employs practice-led research and interdisciplinary methodologies to address pressing environmental and ecological issues. This year Baker was awarded a TU RISE PhD Scholarship in association with The KinShip Project and Crawford College of Art and Design, MTU Cork. Her doctoral research will explore the intersections of biodiversity, habitat conservation, and the circular economy within Tramore Valley Park, Cork.

TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2025, 16:15–18:00 FILM AND SCREEN MEDIA AUDITORIUM, KANE BUILDING B10B (BASEMENT)