techNOpolitics
/tek noh palutiks/
[insert definition]
We understand the technological revolution as a radical technological change bringing a radically different technological future. However, we want to diverge from the idea of technological innovation that dominates mainstream stories and seems to be the solution to virtually all our problems, from hunger and climate change to the lack of time for household chores or sleep issues. Yet, as we have seen, the way this innovation comes to be has often been far from democratic or transparent or, in the end, serving the interest of very few, by solving problems it creates.
We propose that we think of the technological revolution through the lens of its political power.
Imagine the power dynamics in technology shifting radically. Or the existing state of things accelerates and gets out of hand. Aren’t companies already more powerful than states? We already live in a technological dictatorship; the power of the big 4 (GAFAM) tech companies is comparable to that of a supranational state, but still, we are not fully aware of their political role.
Ani, a musician, archivist, and listener, follows forgotten melodies and histories of her Armenian ancestry between past and present timelines, comparing sterile technological memory, with her and her people’s embodied experiences.
In a food-scarce future, a young designer works to develop a VR dining experience with his hesitant mother and tech-savvy uncle.
When obsolete tech starts to resist, Key Mama, a wasteland scrap middleman tinkers with the consciousness of Anyone, who’s trapped in the faith of flawless technologies. Anyone is irritated – why tears?
A speculative from the perspective of a sentient microbe living on the glowing surface of a touchscreen. Rescuing bacteria
from being recklessly named Engel barterium
