Research Catalogue

Thesis / Research Document of the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, 2025 BA Interior Architecture and Furniture Design Summary (8968)

Through an artistic research process, I examine the ethical issues that arise in transcultural music composition, a context familiar to the students of the Global Music department at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. Through reflexive autoethnography and musical analysis of the composition used for my Bachelor concert, I look at the questions of cultural appropriation vs. appreciation, and imitation vs. plagiarism. In the discussion I use a reflexive and investigative process for navigating these questions, and in the conclusion I expose my reflections and ideas on how to tackle this elusive yet important subject.

Audience reactions such as “Oh, doom is coming” reveal the emotional weight of eco-anxiety and highlight the need for approaches that go beyond fear. During the first year of understanding eco-anxiety, I explored how eco-anxiety manifests in daily life and how it shapes collective processes within a developing neighbourhood. I also explored how integrating qualitative audience research with artistic research can deepen our understanding of eco-anxiety and contribute to the development of artistic coding as a method. The artistic interventions: 1. The Birds, 2. Bring Back the Birds, 3. Omgaan met Water, 4. Stay Safe in the Media Atmospheres, 5. Artist Residency Oba Next Sluisbuurt, 6. Kunstenaarskennis and 7. Participatiewensen, combined with conceptual reflections of them, demonstrated that understanding eco-anxiety involves questioning, prompting and exploring the affect and emotions that emerge in relation to eco-anxiety.

This project aims to explore the ability of playing by ear in order to design a creative and stimulating teaching approach for the development of the skill in piano lessons. The goal is to devise effective strategies for piano instructors, offering guidance on how to effectively advance the abilities of their students. Consistent with Woody’s ideas, playing by ear has been described by educators as a relevant developmental prerequisite to becoming a truly fluent music reader. Nevertheless, making sounds by ear is often just the initial and playful approach to music, and its significance diminishes considerably in education as the skill level increases. In fact, one must not forget the crucial role of the skill, that is the direct connection between music and player (without any interference like the score).

This visual essay explores images generated through AI-based expansion of a simple photographic composition. Without commands or prompts, the system infers human gestures, shadows, and presences — inventing what was never there. The project questions authorship, visibility, and the power of symbolic residue when language no longer mediates creation. It is not about representation — it is about refusal, inference, and the unsettling persistence of images beyond intention.

In a world saturated with sonic and social noise, this project positions listening as a deliberate, ethical, and relational practice. Through a series of interdisciplinary performances and compositions, I investigate how improvisation and spatial acoustics can cultivate human connection, challenge perceptual norms, and activate space as a responsive collaborator. Drawing on theories from acoustic ecology, performance studies, and architecture, particularly the work of Beatriz Colomina, Paulina Oliveros, Blesser and Salter, I explore how environments shape musical communication and identity. Improvisation functions not only as a musical technique, but also as a method of social engagement and shared authorship. This research embraces openness, embodiment, and collective presence as central to how music is created, perceived, and lived.