“When we think about artistic research, it doesn’t necessarily respond to the needs of the market. So in that sense, the perceptions of time, and the ways in which processes happen, are different. Sometimes, there are specific circumstances in which you cannot accelerate the processes. You need to go in detail, dealing with specific elements, in order to tackle factors, and those factors involve, most of the time, the connection with peoples and communities… therefore, very often, there is no traced path in order to reach these elements, so I believe that Artistic Research Practices are a way to perceive time management differently. You need more time and a different rhythm in order to engage with all these elements and make a valuable result, response or impact, regarding the communities you are dealing with.”

Daniel Malpica is a Finnish-Mexican writer, graphic designer, publisher and multimedia artist. His work involves the exploration of cross-narratives, transmediality, design and literary arts. As an artist and curator, Malpica has developed multiple transdisciplinary literary projects across Europe, the Nordics, and Mexico. Malpica was editor and designer of Radiador Magazine and, between 2019-2022, a member of the board of directors of the Finnish PEN.

His most recent books, ‘Se escribe con X’ and ‘Manuke Libre’, have received support from the Finnish Arts Council (TAIKE) and the Kone Foundation.

For this interview series, “The Ecology of Artistic Research”, we meet at Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located a 15-minute ferry ride away from the centre of Helsinki, Finland, where Malpica is currently one of the artists in residence of HIAP (Helsinki International Artists Programme). Upon arrival it is clear that this is the type of island that carries history and beauty in its nature, streets and buildings, many which are now used for this renown initiative.

HIAP residency programme offers time and support for developing new work in dialogue with the local art scene. The goal is to offer space for experimental, cross-disciplinary art practices and to actively contribute to topical debates within and around the context of art.

The HIAP team supports the residents with their research/work as well as practical everyday matters. The residency time can be used for open-ended research and experimentation, and there is no requirement to produce a finalised piece of work. This is something that Malpica values, for it fits exactly with the area of artistic research that he discusses with me through the interview, which I name “Perceptions of time” based on his input.

The ability to use literary practices, poetry, design and multimedia alongside a professional community of authors and artists has given me the opportunity to approach research from a different angle… even crossing the boundaries towards the academia. I have been dealing with researchers from doctoral studies in different studies in various universities in Finland. These intersections between the students and artists on the field has given the possibility to reach audiences, authors, and tackle specific issues of how to make our society more inclusive.

From working with researchers to help visualize their investigations in multimedia ways, to studying and photographing flowers and plants from different regions of Finland in order to represent the diversity of cultures in the literary landscape of Finland, Malpica’s investigations often involve a zooming in into the subjects and then taking from other elements and practices in order to fully represent the work and give room to the voices and stories that give purpose to his work.

Visit www.danielmalpica.com for more.