Proof
A Humanities Makerspace at MARCH
What emerges when we look differently at an object? When we put our hands on it, manipulate it, take it apart, put it back together? What do we see when we investigate an object outside of its finished form?
A makerspace is a home for collaborative research with a twist. Instead of research that takes place in an archive or by reading books, the makerspace emphasizes hands-on experimentation. In the makerspace, you learn by doing. Bringing this practice to the Humanities, PROOF offers tools, a shared space, and a collaborative spirit to explore our objects of study from a different perspective. By taking apart, rebuilding, or starting from scratch, researchers can think in new and creative ways about their research questions.
The important part of this practice is an emphasis on process rather than product: researchers in the makerspace learn by creating, not just by reflecting on the thing created. By refocusing our scholarly attention on process, researchers can discover details about an object’s function, its aesthetic work, and even the network of people, materials, and environments that make it possible.
Make. Do.