Cross-Border Practices
Dr. Les Joynes
“Through collaboration, improvisation and interdisciplinary experimentation, we can encounter “intense proximities” (Enwezor 2012) between ourselves, our environments and our conceptions of culture.”
Cross Border Practices
Dr. Les Joynes is a contemporary artist and scholar on artistic research and higher education. He examines cross-border practices and transcultural education at Teachers College, Columbia University. A ZERO1 Art and Technology artist, he is recipient of Fulbright Awards for Mongolia, China, and the 2021 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for India.
The 21st century art studio is no longer tethered to fixed spaces. Geographically dispersed practices engage creativity in new ways that are now informing new forms of academic practice.
Dr. Les Joynes introduces FormLAB, a nomadic learning environment that re-sites the studio, workshop, and learning environment into museums, universities and public spaces around the world. Founded at Goldsmiths in 1997, FormLAB scaffolds collaborative learning spaces to explore materials, processes, practices as well as the identities and cultures in which they are sited. Students and collaborators explore not only new materials and processes but also notions of identity and culture. As an interdisciplinary project FormLAB also mines the interdisciplinary resources available in academia and beyond.
Exploring media and technologies to examine art processes, FormLAB occupies museums and public spaces transforming them into experimental laboratories. Through collaboration, improvisation and interdisciplinary experimentation, we experience intense proximities (Enwezor 2012) between ourselves and the environments we encounter.
He also explores experimental site-specific performance, re-purposing old technologies, examining indigenous technologies and ritual and to examine binary-bias in pedagogy through the interface of traditional and contemporary procedures.
Interfacing Art, Technology and Site
Today, the advancement of globalization, communication and cultural exchange has prompted contemporary artists to search for new and significant ways of making art in an effort to create communities and initiate intercultural dialogue. Exploring technology, artists initiate cross-disciplinary experimental laboratories “spaces that can produce new relationships between spectator and artwork” as well as illustrating how artists now work in the broader networks of connected cities and virtual dimensions.
Artists invent new signs and connect to broader global networks. They explore the unfamiliar, leaving a wake of new signs and knowledge that are consumed by spectators. Nicolas Bourriaud refers to the artist “…as semionaut, an inventor of trajectories, through signs.” As creators of new signs, artists envision new forms of visual culture.
Utilizing interdisciplinary inquiry to drive innovation, artists explore gaps between disciplines initiating new forms of dialogue through experiment.
Exploring New Modalities of Site
From 2008-2017 FormLAB has created projects in Germany, Singapore, South Korea, France, Brazil, Russia, Mongolia and China. Today it is exploring disruption: not only in interrupting art processes but reinventing how we can re-perceive art within public spaces including museums.
By presenting “live” art or art-making as a process (observable within performance spaces such as a museum), we sought to interrupt the spectators’ passive gaze. We presented them with spontaneity and movement encouraging them to experience works of art as a dynamic series of processes with multiple outcomes that continually change over the duration of the exhibition. The radical nature of shared art-making can lead to unexpected discoveries that are unique to local-specific contexts, bringing about new ways of engaging with art, sites and performances. This has the potential to disrupt the static visual economies and narratives often reinforced by museums, art fairs and commercial galleries.
Shared processes with others and utilizing found objects that have been collected over time offers a structure where we can explore the spaces between the Self and the Other. FormLab becomes a lens into cultural traditions through the creation of dynamic interdisciplinary structures (shared art-making). It appropriates found-objects, sound, music, oral tradition, performance, and emergent technologies and reinterprets them anew. Shared processes with local inhabitants of an unfamiliar culture creates an othering of self and a resulting parapraxis through the invocation of a subconscious. Michel Foucault writes of an “…unveiling of the non-conscious.” It is this “othering of the self” that evokes a fecund unfamiliar territory in creative practice.
Current Fulbright Research
Artistic research explores new ways of performing, new ways of seeing (darsan) and new ways of looking (drishti) through which we identify (cognate) new forms (rupa), construct new names or terms (nama) and scaffold new knowledge. This research examines the cultivation of darsan as a way forward for me to perceive India’s rich visual cultures. Collaborating with local artists in collaborative performances using shared-learning methodologies to experiment I will examine through practice explore social structures, sites and the performative body (including rasa expressions of compassion, wonder, humor, peace, and heroism).
About: A contemporary artist and artistic research scholar Les Joynes serves on the Editorial Board for ProjectAnywhere, a peer-reviewed journal on artistic research at the University of Melbourne and Parsons School of Art, New York and was 2015 TrAIN Research Fellow at the Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation at University of the Arts London.
Educated in the US, UK and Japan he has a BA Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London; MA Fine Art from Goldsmiths, London; MA from Musashino Art University, Tokyo and M.Sc from Boston University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences.
Exploring collaborative models in artistic research, he completed his PhD from the Faculty of Art, Environment and Technology, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK and Post-Doctorate in Fine Art from the School of Communications and Arts, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
He is visiting faculty at Renmin University, Beijing.and recipient of Fulbright Awards for China and Mongolia and the 2021 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award for artistic research at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
He has contributed art criticism to Art in America, Flash Art and Springer. Recent publications include reviews and contributions to Reclaiming Artists Research, Journal for Artistic Research [JAR], Basel New Institutional Models: China’s Cultural Landscape by Mid-Century, Long Museum, China (
2018); Going Beyond: Art as Adventure (2018), Cambridge Scholars, UK
Anywhere v.1. (2015), University of Melbourne and New York: Parsons School of Art, New York; Art and Research at the Outermost Limits of Site Specificity, Newcastle, Australia (
2011) and the Journal for Visual Culture, Irvine: University of California, Irvine. He has curated contemporary art exhibitions in London and Tokyo and served on the curatorial team for the first Taipei Biennial “Sites of Desire” exhibition in 1998.
Dr. Les Joynes
Research Focus
Artistic Research - in practice, education and across disciplines
The future of graduate art education: designing new MFA and PhD programs
Site-specific and Interdisciplinary Art
Transcultural Collaboration between Universities
Academic Coaching and Mentorship
Education
Post-Doctorate (2017) School of Art and Communications, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, 2012), Faculty of Art, Environment and Technology, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK.
Masters in Fine Art (2001), Musashino Art University, Japan Monbusho Award, Tokyo, Japan.
Master of Arts (1997), Fine Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
Master of Science (1988), Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Boston University and Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours, 1996), Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts, London, UK.
Bachelor of Arts (cum laude, 1986), Boston University, Boston, MA.
Other Education
Columbia University Visiting Scholar and Scientist Program, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Studio Masterclass, James Rosenquist, Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA.
Visiting Scholar, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-arts, Paris, France.
Visiting Scholar, Taiwan Ministry of Education Huayu Scholar National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Curricula and Syllabi
Emerging the New Art School in Tactical Programs that interface the artist [PhD curriculum].
Evolving Boundaries: Environmental Art from the 1960s to present [syllabus].
Building Museum Leadership: Coaching Practices in the Creative Industries [workshop].
Engaged Critique in Contemporary art: expanded concepts of installation [tutorial/critique].
Supervision and mentorship on MFA and PhD programs in Fine Art [syllabus].
Awards
2021 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award (US Department of State).
2020 US Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs Grant for Colombia.
2019 US Department of State, American Arts Incubator ZERO1: Art and Technology Artist.
2017 Fulbright Hays US Public Diplomacy China Award.
2017 CEC ArtsLink Foundation Grant, St. Petersburg, Russia.
2017 Taiwan Ministry of Education (MOE) Language Scholar National Cheng Kung University.
2017 Renmin University of China Merit Award for Teaching, Beijing.
2016 Wheatley Foundation Fellow, Birmingham City University, UK.
2016 US Department of State Field Research Fellow, American Center for Mongolian Studies.
2015 Fellow ,University of the Arts London Research Center on Transnational Art, Identity and Nation.
2014 Fulbright Hays US Public Diplomacy Award for Mongolia.
2014 CEC ArtsLink Foundation Grant for Mongolia.
2009 Queenstown Council, Singapore Citation Award, Singapore.
2009 Edwin Austin Abbey Fellowship, National Design Museum, New York.
2009 Bauhaus Foundation Fellow, Dessau, Germany.
2008 The Nordic Artists Center Fellowship, Norway.
2001 Musashino Art University Selection Award.
2001 Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture Scholar (Monbusho) (1998-2001).
1998 Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture Japanese Language Scholar (1997-1998).
1996 Academic Honours, Central Saint Martins College of Art, London.
1995 Erasmus Scholarship, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-arts, Paris.
1995 King Sturge Award for Sculpture, London.
Conferences
International Leadership Association, DEI Summit (2021)
Pedagogy 2.0, Teachers College, Columbia University
ISEA International Symposium of Electronic Art, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, Korea
Session-Chair, ProjectAnywhere Conference, Parson School of Art, New School, New York. (2018).
Plenary Keynote Speaker on PhD research, School of Art, Peking University, Beijing (2018).
Artist-centric practices within the museum, Museum2050, Long Museum, Shanghai (2018).
Co-Chair, Young Researcher Conference, Mongolia (2016).
Speaker and Committee Member, College Art Association conference (2015).
Japan Startup NYC, Microsoft, New York (2016).
Presidents Forum on Higher Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York (2016).
Keynote Speaker, Young Researcher Conference Mongolia.
National University of Education and the American Center for Mongolian Studies (2015).
Royal Geographical Society Conference, London (2013).
Editorial Committee, ProjectAnywhere Conference, Parsons/ New School, New York (2015).
Panelist, Artists’ Workspaces: Portability, Contingency, Virtuality,
Speaker, College Art Association conference, Chicago (2014).
Panelist Going Beyond: Art as Adventure (CAA, Washington, DC) (2018).
European League of Institutes in the Arts (ELIA) conferences, Seoul (2012) and Vienna (2013).
Selected Publications, Studies and Research
Diversity, Equity and Creative Practices in South Asia (2023) Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
Reclaiming Artists Research (journal review, 2020), Journal for Artistic Research, Basel.
“The Artist-centric model in museums” in Looking to New Institutional Models: China’s Cultural Landscape by Mid-Century, Ching, N and Tanner, L, (eds), Long Museum, Shanghai (2019).
Emerging models for teaching, New York: Critical Practices (2019).
“The Artist as Explorer,” in Going Beyond: Art as Adventure (2018) O’Neill et al (eds.), Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars.
Interfacing Technology with Site (2019) ISEA International Symposium of Electronic Art, Korea.
DrawnOver: Contemporary Drawing, Vojvodina, Serbia: Museum of Contemporary Art [catalogue]. (Joynes and Vu, 2018).
“The Artist Explorer: FormLaboratory: Geographically Dispersed Performance in Brazil (2012-2013) and Mongolia (2014)” Sao Paulo, Brazil: Escola de Comunicações e Artes, Universidade de São Paulo [post-doctoral thesis].
Anywhere v.1. (2015). Lowry, S. and Douglas, S. (eds.),Melbourne, Australia: University of Melbourne and New York: Parsons School of Art, Media and Technology, Parsons, New School for Design, New York.
“The Artist as Explorer,” Washington D.C.: College Arts Association Conference.
Les Joynes and Thomas Vu in Interview” in Draw: Artists from China at Inside Out Art Museum, New York: LeRoy Neiman Foundation [catalogue].
“FormLaboratory” in Art and Research at the Outermost Limits of Site Specificity (2014) Lowry, S and Douglas, S. (eds.). Newcastle, Australia: Univ. of Newcastle. Joynes, L. (2014).“Nomadic and Geographically Dispersed Practice,” Chicago: College Arts Association.
New Institutional Models: China’s Cultural Landscape by Mid-Century, Long Museum, China (2018).
Going Beyond: Art as Adventure, O’Neill, R et al (eds), Cambridge Scholars, UK (2018).
“The Invisible and the Transvisible in contemporary art in Singapore,” in Octopus, Journal for Visual Culture: University of California, Irvine.
"Multi-spatial Performance: at Bauhaus-Dessau, November 2008: Record Dances, Bühnenstudios der Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau [Internet].
Taking the LEED: Examining the costs and benefits of environmental efficiencies, New York (2007).
“Intelligence, technologies and applications to genomics” Legislation of genetic testing in the US and Iceland: Legislative Implications and strategies, Tokyo, Japan.
Ethics and Genetic population testing - engineering best practices in the US and Iceland (2004).
Bringing Intelligence to the technological interface between technology and interface in Japan (2003).
Towards human-integrated healthcare: Clinical research development in human sciences, Tokyo, Japan (2003).
The Human Genome: Areas of Light and Shadow (E.Kon et al, Shokabo Publishing, Tokyo 2001).
“Some Say They Did: Some Say They Didn’t, Contemporary Art of Yoshitomo Nara at Ginza Art Space” New York: Art in America.
“The New Pathetic. Contemporary British art in the 1990s,”Vienna: Springer.
Scientific Journal Editing, Tohoku University, Japan.
The New Pathetic: Contemporary Art in London, Springer [magazine], Hamburg, Germany (1997).
“Emerging materials applications in sound media: digital audio” Brussels (1991).
“Resourcing Tetra-butyl hydro-peroxide for radical polymerization Initiators”, Brussels (1990).
”Managing The Technology Transfer Process: The Parallel Learning Mechanism (with A. Shani), Seoul: Dankook University Press (1990).
Emerging technologies for cross-border connectivity in Europe Brussels (1990).
”Building better mineral analyses using advanced refraction technologies” Brussels (1990).
“Enhanced forms of energy and technologies across Europe,” Brussels (1990).
“Ecologically integrated manufacturing cost/ benefit analysis and long term social impact” Brussels (1990).
“Post-Graduate Management Education Programs, Boston University (1987).
Juries and Boards
CEC ArtsLink Artist Selection Juror,, New York (2021).
CEC ArtsLink Art Managers, CuratorsSelection Juror,, New York (2021).
Editorial Board Member for ProjectAnywhere [journal], University of Melbourne and Parsons School of Art, New York (2015-present).
International Committee, College Art Association conference (2015-2018).
Art and Anthropology Committee, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain, London (2020-present).
Nordic Artist Center, Selection Committee, Norway (2008).
Harlem Arts Alliance Grant Selection Jury, New York (2010).
Teaching Graduate (PhD)
2020-pres PhD Fine Art Tutorials and Coaching, Victorian School of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia.
2015 PhD Masterclass on Doctoral Research and Fieldwork, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, UK.
Teaching Graduate (MA, MFA)
Beyond Pedagogy (2021) a Workshop for future university art educators, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Academic Careers in the Arts - Individual Pathways (upcoming coaching workshop for postgraduates).
Artmaking through Pandemic. (2020-present) Coaching to MFA students (Individual teaching), Columbia University School of the Arts.
Strategies for Global Leaders: Coaching to MBAs and EMBA students (Individual teaching) (2020-present).
Entrepreneurship in the Arts: Creating Museums of the Future (seminar) (2018), Peking University Institute for Cultural Industries, Beijing.
US-China Collaboration in Practice with students from China Academy of Fine Arts (2018) Fulbright US Public Diplomacy Award.
American Modern and Contemporary Art History (undergraduate and graduate) Professor of Record 2013-present). Renmin University of China, Beijing. Professor of Record (2013-present).
Experimental Art and New Media (undergraduate and graduate). (Professor of Record, 2018-present) Renmin University of China, Beijing.
RA Studio Tutorials, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK (2015).
MA Fine Art Studio Tutorials, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London (2015).
MA Fine Art Studio Tutorials, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK (2015).
MA Fine Art Studio Tutorials, University of Coventry, Coventry, UK (2015).
MA Tutorials, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK (2011-2012).
MFA Studio Tutorials, Columbia University School of the Arts (2008-2009).
Artist Residencies
Inside Out Art Museum, Beijing (2018).
CEC-Arts Link, St. Petersburg, Russia (2017).
Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, São Paulo, Brazil (ResArtis, 2013).
Seoul Foundation for Art and Culture, Seoul, Korea (ResArtis, 2012).
FormLAB, Brazilian Museum of Sculpture (2012).
Treignac Projet, France (2010).
Toosneger Foundation-Dordrecht Printmaking and Painting Residency, Holland (2008).
Abbey Fellowship in Public Art, National Academy Museum, New York (2009).
Nordic Artists Center (NKD), Dalsasen, Norway (ResArtis, 2008).
Nagasawa Woodblock Printmaking Fellowship, Awaji, Japan (2006).
Poznan Summer Academy Residency, Poznan, Poland (1993 and 1994).