PRACTITIONERS IN RESIDENCE
residency grew out of a recognition that these methods could offer something meaningful within a business school context, particularly in relation to how people communicate, make decisions and understand one another. “Once at Vlerick, I was overjoyed to partner with Ralf Wetzel to develop projects and initiatives with the community. His expertise in creative executive leadership development positioned him to see the potential of working with an artist as a collaborator to address intransigent issues. The core project that subsequently emerged, Away with Words , created space for voices, experiences and forms of knowledge that are not always easily articulated but are essential to how institutions function.” What unique perspectives and experiences do you believe you can bring to the classroom? “I bring a practice rooted in listening, vulnerability and transformation. In Away with Words , participants were invited to share personal stories connected to their research and then physically transform their written work by tearing it up and remaking it into large-scale paper pulp paintings. This approach encourages people to engage with knowledge not just intellectually but emotionally and materially. I also highlight multisensory forms of learning, where sound, touch and collective experience become ways of understanding.”
How do artist-in-residence programmes enhance the student learning experience? “These kinds of programmes open up forms of learning that move beyond analysis and into experience. Through practices like storytelling, collective making and deep listening, students can encounter knowledge as something lived and relational. In Away with Words , the act of sharing and transforming research made visible the emotional and human dimensions behind academic work, helping participants recognise the interconnectedness of their contributions.” What are the challenges and opportunities of being an artist in residence? “One challenge is working within systems that often prioritise clarity and outcomes, while artistic processes unfold through uncertainty and experimentation. Another is translating between different ways of understanding value, especially when working with research communities whose work is often invisible or under-recognised. “At the same time, this creates a powerful opportunity. The residency allows for interventions that can shift perception, foster cohesion and create new forms of visibility.” How do you view your role within the institution? “I create conditions for people to encounter both themselves and each other differently. This involves facilitating spaces where stories can be shared, where listening becomes an active practice and where transformation can occur materially and socially. In this context, I am not only making an artwork, but also shaping a process that allows a community to see itself more fully and to recognise the depth and diversity of its own experience.”
RACHEL PARISH Interdisciplinary artist and theatre maker; artist in residence at Vlerick Business School, Brussels What inspired you to become an artist in residence? “I was thrilled to be invited to become Vlerick Business School’s first artist in residence. This opportunity emerged because I was part of an international and interdisciplinary research group exploring different facets of hybrid warfare [ Editor’s note : Rachel turned this research into a project called Gentle and Kind Things , creating handwoven cloths such as table runners and napkins, embedded with encoded quotes from military texts and philosophical writings, to spark dialogue about how global conflict can seep into our everyday lives]. “Among the practitioners in this group was faculty member Barney Jordaan. A conversation emerged about how my artistic approach might contribute to the wider business school community. “I was already exploring how complex and often invisible dynamics of narrative and power can be made tangible and perceptible through shared processes of making, listening and transformation. The
Ambition • ISSUE 2 • 2026 39
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