ABSTRACT
Batman Gżirjan is a socially engaged artistic-research project that uses a multisensory, ethnographic qualitative research approach. Commissioned by the University of Malta and led by artist-researcher Kristina Borg, the project looks at the effects of over-construction and private development on the daily life of the inhabitants of Gżira – a busy and changing seaside town in the eastern region of the small island state of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. A group of locals and fishers participated in a series of research workshops that focused on exploring the collective memory of the place while mapping out the transformation of their hometown as experienced through different senses. The implementation of this project was highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the qualitative research process had to shift as it responded to the demands of the time. The chapter will discuss the different creative tools and experimental approaches employed in adapting to the participants’ needs, while making sure to respect the original objectives of the research project. It will also highlight the need for a continual revisiting of the research methods and the challenges this entailed.
