[resource-net] What comes after the 'T' word?

Rachel Uwa rachel.uwa at gmail.com
Wed Sep 19 17:07:56 CEST 2018


Hi everyone,

I hope you've enjoyed a lovely summer!
I just had some random thought to share so I thought I'd write you all.

Over the weekend I saw the live-stream of an event at Berliner Festspiele
called "What comes after the nation state?"
Did any of you attend or see it online?

One thing that struck me after awhile is how they were talking about
important issues
but I rarely heard lamenting about technology and what's going on in that
realm. They were not talking about less serious things that what are
normally discussed at transmediale for example but it was just somehow
refreshing to not hear the same arguments about technology over and over,
that productive discussions about society can happen and that one can talk
about people and actions and that those things matter above all!

Let me be clear, I am obviously very much fascinated by technology and I
hope I never have to die because I wanna continue to see where all this is
going! But I guess just to pick up on the oft concerns after the
transmediale festival in general, I think it's a time of action and we all
wanna know what we can do that's good for the world and for each other.
Most of us are already doing work in this direction, so we know what that
looks like from a grassroots level. What transmediale feels like though, is
academics theorizing back and forth; and as many of us know, there is
obviously a disconnect between theory and practice. So we who know on a
grassroots working directly with people level sit through these talks of
people theorizing from their academic castles in the sky (haha) and
sometimes it feels like they are sorely missing the mark. How can
frustration not be the result?

I don't know. This is my current thought on why there continues to be
dismay after each festival.

If speakers at transmediale would be encouraged to talk from a what is
being done- what can be done perspective and with words that everyone can
understand (rather than just speaking to the academic elite) then maybe
we'd all feel more like we're getting somewhere. Or at least if they would
have an even slightly original take on things we've heard over and over
before... but I digress.

Of course, transmediale organisers can and should do what they want, it's
their organisation. I just saw that this might be some of the reason for
the conflicting emotions going on after each festival. Of course, making
group decisions often brings on some of the pain as well, lol.

Anyway, I still enjoy being a part of this community and still plan to
participate in Vorspiel and attend transmediale and all the things. I'm
already thinking about creating an escape room with School of Machines
alumni next year during the yearly festivities so I'm still hopeful that
together with you all good things will come! But since I haven't seen many
of you in awhile, well just thought I'd share my thoughts before I forget
what I wanted to say!

Feel free to engage me in discussion if you feel so compelled! Otherwise,
see you all in Fall/Winter/later on in the year when things start to get
rolling again! Or perhaps randomly tonight at this Retune
<https://www.facebook.com/events/314331539343095/> event. :)

Warmly,
Rachel

ps: the 'T' word is 'technology' in case that wasn't obvious :)


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