Kintsugi (金継ぎ: ‘gouden verbinding’) is the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold or silver lacquer. In Japanese aesthetics, the traces of breakage and repair add to the beauty of an object. Kintsugi was therefore the inspiration for the illustration of Alice Schippers’ story, about the knowledge that is hidden in being different and that we miss if we only focus on the norm. Isn’t it the differences and limitations that also give meaning?
Alice: ‘Living with limitations brings a lot of unique knowledge that we leave untapped in our society. The field of Disability Studies aims to recognize, acknowledge and disclose this knowledge. That does require creativity from the researcher.’ To reinforce her arguments, she supports her speech with music, images and scent. QR codes to music pieces are included in the booklet.
Read more about her speech (in Dutch).
The inaugural lectures appear in print and as an interactive PDF.
