Assembling at the “great gates”: A heterotopic assemblage of research contestations

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This article critically assesses the impact of neoliberal imperatives on academic research, questioning the emphasis on economic benefits over intellectual richness and the ethical implications of such a skewed focus. Drawing on Sara Delamont’s metaphor of “the great gates,” which conceptualizes distinct research trajectories, a heterotopic lens is used to offer critique. Each gate represents a unique intellectual journey: practical, ideological, risky, or isolative. The research process involved the creation of visual art pieces—collages, multimedia installations, and digital compositions—to think with (and through) the gates. Each art piece interrogates the unique characteristics of a gate, blending material-discursive elements to reflect on intellectual risks and institutional pressures. The creation of these artworks was not only a methodological act but also a deeply reflective and meditative practice, blending theory with artistic expression to explore the ontological and epistemological dimensions of each gate. The study underscores the ongoing need for ethical and responsive academic practices that navigate and challenge prevailing economic and ideological constraints in higher education. The transformative potential of integrating creative and scholarly practices is emphasized. There is value in prioritizing diverse and transformative knowledge production as an outcome of rich intellectual inquiry.