13/07 2020
Open call for applications: Speculative design workshop ”The Otherness Toolkit”
Metamedia Association in collaboration with The Design of Visual Communications Department (Arts Academy in Split) is organizing a speculative design workshop under the title ‘’The Otherness Toolkit’’. The workshop will take place from 10-15 August 2020 in Community center Rojc in Pula, Croatia and will be led by Luis Rodil-Fernández, with the assistance of students of ArtEZ University of Arts Sjoerd Mol (NL), Katrijn Westland (NL) and Deborah Mora (IT).
The theme of the workshop is speculation on perception and representations of the body. The workshop will be held during the Media Mediterranea 22 festival.
/// Workshop context
In 2019 an international team of astronomers announced that they had completed the first image that accurately depicts a black hole. That black hole has never been directly witnessed by any human eye, nor has it been captured using any kind of photographic process. It was composed from billions of data points from the Event Horizon Telescope, that were interpreted by a custom algorithm and rendered on a computer screen. Just like the first microscopes allowed us to look into the strange and unknown world of microbial life, this algorithm has allowed us to look at a black hole. We humans have always relied on technology to augment our capabilities. For example, to see what the naked eye cannot see or as is the case with machine learning, to process vast amounts of information and derive insights from patterns, thereby augmenting human cognitive abilities. Each of these technologies augments a capability that can be understood to originate in the human body. This strong and rich relationship between technology and human perception will be our playground.
Through speculative design we will develop concepts for other possible bodies. Using techniques centered around the body and human perception such as movement, photographs and some make-up techniques we will develop the physical execution of our work. From the analogue, we will then move into the digital, creating ‘face filters’ (i.e. Instagram filters) as a means to express our results.
/// About speculative design
Speculative design is usually focused on the ideas that are stemming from the area of sciences, while applied technologies are dealing with the projections of socio-technical trends, development of the future scenarios and the role of products in the context of new usage.
/// General information
The aim of the workshop is to gather young students, experts and artists from the field of design, new media, IT, sociology, biology, etc., ages 18-35. The workshop program includes lectures, interactive tasks, visual presentations, and group work, focused on the process of practical co-creation.
Working language of the workshop is English.
On the final day of the workshop the participants will present their outcomes on Media Mediterranea 22 festival. The participation on the workshop is free of charge. Accommodation expenses are covered fully by organizer. Travel and food expenses should be covered by participants themselves. Refreshments will be provided during the workshop.
/// Mentor
Luis Rodil-Fernández is an artist, teacher and hacker with a mixed background in computer science, fine arts and music. His autonomous work is concerned with the impact that technologies have on cognition and the human body, with particular emphasis in movement and embodied interfaces. Through performances, installations and social games, his work proposes a critical gaze on human-computer interactions rooted in movement. He teaches at the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem and is a teacher and researcher in the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
/// Applications
For participation in the workshop, please fill out the application form.
For more information, contact us on kontakt.radionice@gmail.com
Final date for application is July 31th 2020. The number of participants is limited. All applicants will receive notification of a selection decision by email on 3th August.
Note: Workshop organizers will provide hand sanitizers, gloves and facemasks, and will implement necessary safety measures. If the workshop cannot take part in-person due to COVID-19 related measures, it will be held online.
