Pass the Information, Extend the Knowledge

This thesis presents an in-depth exploration of gathering as a creative process within the digital realm. Through the investigation of User-Generated Content (UGC) platforms, this study examines how interviewed artists, designers, and developers are using these platforms as “digital gardens”, i.e. online containers to cultivate over time curated references that reflect their visual culture. The research secondly sheds light on the crucial role of specific platforms, in turn influencing creative processes, intertwining visual culture, ownership, content curation and collaboration, platform design, and usability. It therefore aims to thematize emerging tension points, unraveling the impact of these platforms on creativity, knowledge cultivation, and the complexities of managing diverse digital information spaces.

Examining the collaborative aspects of gathering, with the case study of Are.na (2012), this study navigates the transition from individualistic creative processes to more inclusive models of collaborative commons through sharing within UGC platforms. Despite their inclination towards privacy, these platforms paradoxically foster external source interconnections, emphasizing broader themes of sharing, open-access culture, and redefining ownership dynamics. Through an analysis of platform challenges and radical initiatives promoting personal web spaces, it explores cultural shifts, ownership dynamics, and the economic implications of shared creative processes and resources, hinting at potential collective knowledge growth.

KEYWORDS
Collection, Gathering, Sharing, Knowledge, Digital Gardening, User-Generated Content, Online platforms, Curation, Collaboration, Public Learning