Development of the concept of sustainability aesthetics and application for the evaluation of hybrid environments
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doc. dr. Indrė GRAŽULEVIČIŪTĖ-VILENIŠKĖ |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Researchers analyzing the expression of environmental formation activities related to sustainable development note that the phenomenon of sustainable development still lacks its new, recognizable aesthetic language (Di Carlo, 2016). In response to these problems, the trend of so-called sustainability aesthetics emerged, seeking to reflect and embody the ideas of sustainability in the expression of the designed objects and in their relation to the user. The origins of this idea are linked to the direction of ecological art that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s (Kagan, 2011). In recent years, the idea of sustainability aesthetics has received more and more attention from the researchers (Kagan, 2011) and designers, issues of sustainability aesthetics are addressed in product design (Marchand et al., 2006), architecture (Sunikka-Blank, 2011), urban planning (Di Carlo, 2016), landscape architecture (Hemmati, 2016), forestry (Sheppard, 2001), and others. areas. There are few specific definitions of the aesthetics of sustainability in the literature. In his definition S. Kagan (2011) draws on G. Bateson’s conception of aesthetics as a response to connecting patterns and argues that this aesthetics focuses on relationships and processes and is based on the sensitive response to connecting patterns at many levels. Based on G. Bateson, S. Kagan (2011) encourages not only to focus much on the immediately visible differences of the elements, but to look at the meta-structure that connects the living world. Thus, the aesthetics of sustainability should highlight the fact that the opposites are indeed complementary. The aim of the proposed research is to develop the concept of sustainability aesthetics based on the theory of levels of aesthetic perception of the environment (Dekay, 2012) and apply it to hybrid (mixed) environments (urban forest, urban nature, urban garden, forest office, forest garden, etc.) that emerge as a result of contemporary urban dynamics (urban expansion and shrinkage). The expected result is the evaluation of hybrid environments from the point of view of sustainability aesthetics using the methodology developed in the course of the research and recommendations for their formation.
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Principles of contemporary music organization and representation
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prof. dr. Darius KUČINSKAS |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Organization and representation are main principles of music existence. Specific of these principles are expressed via individualized technique of music composition and its representation in musical text (graphic, acoustic, digital, kinetic). Shift to the digital sphere cardinally changed European tradition of music organization and representation. New ways of music composition, digitization, virtual representation turned music researchers to the new musicological problems and questions to rethink basic principles of music expression. Dissertation is designed to examine contemporary techniques of music composition, modern ways of music representation and evaluation of changes in music development in last decades. Lithuanian contemporary music and its performance will be included as one of the main elements in the research.
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Assessment and Modelling of Visual Pollution in Urban Environment
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prof. dr. Jūratė Kamičaitytė |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Due to globalization and intensive technological progress, the impact of commercial initiatives and other factors on the rapidly changing urban landscape and the ever-increasing information diversity and complexity of the visual urban environment, the concept of visual pollution, its assessment methods, visual impact modelling are becoming increasingly relevant. Many advanced foreign countries have a legalized concept of visual impact assessment of a planned activity or object, methodological recommendations for visual impact assessment, based on the principles of objectivity and systematicity, and used in practical planning and design activities (Kamičaitytė-Virbašienė & Godienė, 2015). In Lithuania in 2015 a methodology for the determination of visual pollution of natural landscape complexes and objects has been developed for expert assessment, which can be further developed by assessing the use possibilities of artificial intelligence, integrating expert and public opinion, detailing assessment indicators, their importance coefficients, etc. (Kamičaitytė, Godienė, 2021). The aim of the work is to develop a methodology for the determination of visual pollution of urban landscape by applying the principles of interdisciplinary research in order to protect and improve the visual quality of the cityscape and nurture its identity and test it by modelling possible visual pollution of the cityscape.
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Impact of Cultural Identity on Landscape Perception and Evaluation
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prof. dr. Jūratė Kamičaitytė |
state-funded |
Research Topic Summary.
Landscape as a social construct and process ongoing in time and space is constantly changing and due to that it can be considered as an objectively existing dynamic territorial system that is continually re-evaluated by different individuals (subjects). Regarding to ambiguous cultural, technological, social, etc. aspects of globalization, landscape perceivers/assessors are and will be the members of growing multicultural community. The preferences of each perceiver/assessor in terms of landscape are determined not only by psychological, individual, but also by socio-cultural factors, which are decisive for cultural identity. The relevance of the issue is supported by European Landscape Convention that defines landscape as an essential component of people’s surroundings, an expression of the diversity of their shared cultural and natural heritage, and a foundation of their identity. Due to that and other aspects, it is very important to understand the influence of cultural differences on landscape perception, evaluation and formation/planning as different ways of perception, interpretation and representation of the same landscape can occur. The aim of the work is to create and test the methodology of landscape evaluation and modelling based on interdisciplinary approach, that will allow to identify the influence of different cultural backgrounds and social contexts on subjective perception and assessment of landscape, its preferences and mental image as well as to relate it with objective landscape indicators.
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