Charlotte Dorn will defend her doctoral research in the arts, titled: "Attending to firebugs: Creating umpathie for the more-than-human".

The sun has passed its peak in the sky and is now caught in the branches of a tree. A warm breeze caresses the grass and flowers. At first, it seems rather quiet, except for the occasional sound of car engines and the cheerful voices of neighbours. Then, when I put my head close to the soil, my perception shifts. Now, the sound of leaves cracking seems more like loud thunder. A very subtle smell wafts around my nose; it is slightly sweet. From biology books about insects, I know that bugs communicate via pheromones and give off a sweetish smell to gather together - and I think, this scent might come from them.

Indeed, this place is teeming with firebugs. As a human being with rather poorly developed senses of hearing and smell, I am all the more impressed by their appearance. Their bodies are red and black, with a bright red back and a dark pattern consisting of two dots in a triangular shape and a kind of square with curved corners. The face protrudes from beneath this back, completely black with relatively large compound eyes. Six black, long and bent legs also protrude from beneath this back, which appear to be able to move independently of each other.

For several years now, I have been accompanying and observing insects and other animals in their daily lives and recording my impressions of them through artistic methods. This kind of work, which involves observation and recording requires patience and attentiveness. Drawing has become the primary way of observing, because the physical effort and concentration required to perceive through drawing create intense moments of intimacy, which permit me to cultivate connections with the subjects. Meeting crawly creatures makes me aware of the differences between distinct beings of a species and the way they engage with the world around them. My artworks emphasize firebug behavior, their individuality, a processual view on life and encourages a more compassionate and ethically aware approach to interacting with them.

I explore different visual approaches, from figuration to abstraction, and also drawing techniques like blind drawing, carving, or working only with straight lines. Developing the drawings into graphic works helps to reconnect with the experience of observing insects and becoming aware of the image-making itself. The physicality of the carving adds a tactile dimension to the activity of observation, where each line becomes a permanent mark on the plate. Carving serves as a form of embodied memory, where the gestures made during the initial drawing are repeated and solidified. Through this layered approach, printmaking offers a representational form, that emphasises how perception, memory and materiality interact.

During the defense, I will talk about my four-year long research process.

The doctoral defense will take place on Monday, 17 November 2025 at Grote Aula, LUCA School of Arts, Paleizenstraat 70, 1030 Brussels. The day’s program will unfold as follows:

• 14h15- 14h30 Welcome by the chairman of the examination committee
• 14h30-15h15: Presentation of the research
• 15h15-16h30: Q&A with the jury members
• 16h30-16h45: Closed meeting of the examination committee. The jury withdraws for deliberation
• 16h45-17h: Proclamation and laudatio by the supervisor and chair of the examination committee
• 17h-18h: Reception

The examination committee includes:

• Dr. Simon Van Damme (chairman of the examination committee, dean of the Associated Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven)
• Prof. Dr. Kristof Vrancken (supervisor, LUCA School of Arts / KU Leuven )
• Prof. Dr. Didier Debaise (co-supervisor, ULB)
• Prof. Dr. Steven Van Wolputte (co-supervisor, KU Leuven)
• Prof. Dr. Bart Geerts (LUCA School of Arts / KU Leuven)
• Dr. Niek Kosten (LUCA School of Arts)
• Dr. Monique Peperkamp (University of Amsterdam / Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis)
• Mélanie Rainville (Curator ISELP)