“Living Assemblies” is a workshop that explores the relationship between material morphologies, their future societal impact with regards to digitality and representational visualisation of such as critical practice
When: Sunday 31 Aug 2014
Venue: QM168, Queen Mary Court
Duration: 6 hours
Time: 9am - 14.45
Workshop presenters: Veronica Ranner and Clemens Winkle.
Practical requirements:
Abstract
Novel material catalysts and transient materials, such as re-engineered silk, might appear in the near future as a form of social, cultural, political or imaginative assemblage. In consequence, they might likely shift and re-frame our inhabited understanding of materiality by blurring the differentiation between the living and non-living.
Keywords
Transient materials, material- induced, narrative, smart material interfaces, transient electronics, biomedicine.
Summary
“Living Assemblies” is a workshop that explores the relationship between material morphologies, their future societal impact with regards to digitality and representational visualisation of such as critical practice. Novel material catalysts and transient materials, such as silk, can be seen in the near future as forms of social, cultural, political or imaginative assemblage.
They shift and re-frame our inhabited understanding of materiality by blurring the differentiation between the living and non-living. Historically, medical innovations have had a drastic impact on understanding the self as an embodied entity. They enabled us to re-configure our very human identity culturally, freed from its bodily connection and preordained withering. Silk, as programmable matter, is fully absorbable into the human tissue and electrifiable at the same time and will eventually enable interfacing digitally with the human body. A converging space between material scientists, designers and medical application would induce widespread transformations to society and affords a rethinking on appropriate methods and novel forms of public involvement — not only for educational purposes — but also to stimulate feedback loops as cultural contribution to science.
We intend to deploy phenomenology as method for interrogating the material silk in relation to the body, its potential impact for future (medical) application and information technology. By examining the potential of a non- scientists’ personal imaginary account, we hope to fathom potential value of such contribution out between scientific discovery and critical evaluation of technology impact. Methodologically, we aim to critically reflect, if the epistemological division between network actants is still valid when unifying material agents challenge those, leading to more extreme terrain of silk hybridisation.
Experiments with silk are planned to provide the workshop participants with practical activities and attention on their own abilities. Material manipulations such as melting, cooking and chemical treatment of silk, or mixing with other material agents are intended to stimulate speculation and imagination. The participants are asked to capture the process of material mutation via photography and drawing. Reflective group discussions and first ideas will be then prototyped via short films, physical artefacts or drawing.
Workshop is intended for 10- 12 participants. BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW, Register with an easy and fast way – Eventbrite 