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fringejoyride_residency_review [2014-04-28 02:09] alkanfringejoyride_residency_review [2014-04-28 02:12] (current) alkan
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 I suddenly realized that I wasn't working with a bemused academic intimately acquainted with his or her field but never seeing it from a speculative perspective. Here at FoAM I was dancing with a team of speculative experts who tear this stuff apart all the time. This was a week of devil’s advocacy in the format of a sweatshop zen-ship that I was to be extremely grateful for. I suddenly realized that I wasn't working with a bemused academic intimately acquainted with his or her field but never seeing it from a speculative perspective. Here at FoAM I was dancing with a team of speculative experts who tear this stuff apart all the time. This was a week of devil’s advocacy in the format of a sweatshop zen-ship that I was to be extremely grateful for.
  
-I came to FoAM to resolve a very large mental block about my newest project on a new speculative fringe community, the Bioluddites. In the past four months I’ve been working with Near Now in Nottingham, England, on a way to contextualize a public project, even a movement that eats invasive plants and animals in the Vegetarian Capital of Ghent, Belgium. This spiral of local, social activities supported by the Ghent collaborators at Timelab had lead to a documentary filmed by national TV, ongoing collaborations with scientists at the university, and ‘folk’ practitioners eating invasive species and  becoming local celebrities. I even fed the mayor with an invasive Canadian goose leg //a la// amateur-style cooking. +I came to FoAM to resolve a very large mental block about my most recent project on a new speculative fringe community, the Bioluddites. In the past four months I’ve been working with Near Now in Nottingham, England, on a way to contextualize a public project, even a movement that eats invasive plants and animals in the Vegetarian Capital of Ghent, Belgium. This spiral of local, social activities supported by the Ghent collaborators at Timelab had lead to a documentary filmed by national TV, ongoing collaborations with scientists at the university, and ‘folk’ practitioners eating invasive species and  becoming local celebrities. I even fed the mayor with an invasive Canadian goose leg //a la// amateur-style cooking. 
  
 But what does this experiment mean beyond local enthusiasm? What more could I do with the insights gleaned from these stories? Essentially, how can speculative design use this intensely local project to create a meme that challenges us globally and socially? But what does this experiment mean beyond local enthusiasm? What more could I do with the insights gleaned from these stories? Essentially, how can speculative design use this intensely local project to create a meme that challenges us globally and socially?
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 Along with the FoAM participants, for the remaining week I pursued every data source possible alongside my own previous hidden, disorganized, long-procrastinated research to find out what these Bioluddites might look like, believe in, approve of. It was like being part of a detective team, slowly finding clues to navigate what a Bioluddite would eat or wear, how they might behave and organize themselves, and what their agenda might be. These exercises brought us one step closer to this speculative community, drawing upon a spectrum of people who already practice against technology:  Along with the FoAM participants, for the remaining week I pursued every data source possible alongside my own previous hidden, disorganized, long-procrastinated research to find out what these Bioluddites might look like, believe in, approve of. It was like being part of a detective team, slowly finding clues to navigate what a Bioluddite would eat or wear, how they might behave and organize themselves, and what their agenda might be. These exercises brought us one step closer to this speculative community, drawing upon a spectrum of people who already practice against technology: 
  
-  the Amish in their use of religion  +  the Amish in their use of religion  
-  the Luddites, using military power +  the Luddites, using military power 
-  the Neoluddites (except for their association with the infamous Unibomber) with their use of literature +  the Neoluddites (except for their association with the infamous Unibomber) with their use of literature 
  
 In order to socialize luddism in our age of peer-to-peer and TED Talks, the Bioluddites would look like no average activist. In fact, their roles would be closer to modern-day life-coaches, gurus and mentors, and through a combination of information, inspiration and entertainment navigate and ‘nudge’ us through the plethora of biotech consumer choices.  In order to socialize luddism in our age of peer-to-peer and TED Talks, the Bioluddites would look like no average activist. In fact, their roles would be closer to modern-day life-coaches, gurus and mentors, and through a combination of information, inspiration and entertainment navigate and ‘nudge’ us through the plethora of biotech consumer choices. 
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  • by alkan