What can technology, art, and care mean for one another in times of ageing populations, digital transformation, and an increasing need for connection?
In this small-scale expert meeting, hosted by the international CHARM network, a group of researchers, practitioners, artists, and partners working in the cultural field explores the intersections of technology, art, and healthcare. We ask how digital tools and artistic practices might jointly contribute to more inclusive, accessible, and meaningful forms of care.
The event opens with a reflection by hematologist and CHARM-promotor Tessa Kerre (Ghent University / Ghent University Hospital), who shares insights into socially engaged projects such as Art on Prescription and Art at the Bedside. Following this, Isabel Vermote (Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium / ‘Museum op Maat’) and Dieter De Witte (Ghent University / Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium) present prototypes from innovative projects that use digital tools to connect people in care settings with art and heritage — both in museums and beyond.
The second half of the meeting will be dedicated to a roundtable discussion, where all participants will reflect on the potential of art as a “soft technology”: not as a substitute, but as an enrichment of care, enhancing mental and emotional well-being. Technology and art here are not merely tools, but invite us into an aesthetic space of encounter, where care relations can be slowed down and deepened.
Date and time: Thursday, 3 July, 16:00–19:00
Location: Room 0.8, Together, The Core, Campus UZ Gent
Entrance 37.C, Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
