This website is centered around/was created with the purpose of analyzing and commenting upon the book Critical Concepts for the Creative Humanities by Iris van der Tuin and Nanna Verhoeff. The authors describe their work as “a dictionary of sorts.” It comprises a collection of theoretical concepts that are articulated and defined, activated and mobilized, and positioned and referenced in each entry” (van der Tuin and Verhoeff 2022, 1). They underline the importance of a transdisciplinary approach, and how both humanities and the practical field of art, design and culture should interact and exchange ideas to strengthen each other. Although the dictionary has a key ideology which is feminist and new materialist in its nature, most of these concepts aren’t limited to specific topics like ecology or architecture. Instead, they cover concepts such as basic logic operations and how we write and read. Through these terms, the authors explore deep questions about knowledge and show how our way of writing and reading raises important questions on what we know. Ultimately, the book aims to energize academic and artistic thinking by demonstrating how these concepts actively work for us. 

This collection dives into the dynamic world of the creative humanities during a time when glossaries and discussions about humanities are thriving. It sits at the junction of academic and creative realms, delving into how ideas are exchanged. Drawing from influential works like Williams’s “Keywords” and Bal’s “Travelling Concepts,” it embraces diverse disciplines collaborating and the influence of new materialism on shaping our thinking and creative endeavors.

van der Tuin, Iris and Nanna Verhoeff. 2021. Critical Concepts for the Creative Humanities. Blue Ridge Summit: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.