Last June, our Norwegian partner the Bergen Centre for Electronic Arts, also known as BEK, tackled a broad and deep topic: the conceptualisation of a “survival kit” for the Age of Technology. At this occasion, BEK has invited three speakers to give their opinion of what could be be included in a survival pack that will prepare us for participation in the technological age. The purpose of this event is comprehension – a place where people can meet at the intersection of knowledge, experience and a sense of belonging. Survival Kit for the Age of Technology seminar is the first event to be part of our curatorial topic: Future DiverSystems.
“Technology in itself is nothing new: an axe and a pair of glasses have also played their role in humanity’s technological advancement. Yet now it could be experienced as ubiquitous it marks our existence as never before. We may all have felt – at work, in one’s private life, in all relations that we are a part of – that our understanding of technology is not enough. What it means to us and what is does to us is not easy to get an overview of, especially if we are up to our knees in it. What should we know, what should we do and what ought we to master? It feels as though we need a survival pack: now.” Anne Marthe Dyvi, curator and director at BEK
BEK has invited Knut Melvær to help them with Challenge No.1 – to operate/act in the Age of Technology – what ought we to master?
Knut Melvær is currently doing technology consultancy and development for Netlife. He is a PhD Student in the Study of Religions, University of Bergen, working on a thesis on quantitative and digital research methodologies. He is a technology columnist at Sysla and at Bergens Tidende. He gives lectures and perform workshops, and has a broad practical and theoretical knowledge about technology.
BEK has invited Kjetil Rommetveit to help them with Challenge No.2 – to understand/relate to the Age of Technology – what ought we to know?
Kjetil Rommetveit is Associate Professor at Centre for the Study of the Sciences and Humanities, University of Bergen, and has studied philosophy, law and Science and Technology Studies (STS). His main research interests include the public dimensions and governance of technoscience, in digital innovation fields such as robotics, smart energy, biometrics and the Internet of Things. He focuses on issues relating to privacy, autonomy, and democracy and roles of assessments and interdisciplinarity in governance.
BEK has invited Jill Walker Rettberg to help them with Challenge No.3 – to interact with the Age of Technology – what ought we to do?
Jill Walker Rettberg is professor of digital culture at the University of Bergen in Norway. Her main research topic has been storytelling and self-representation in social media, building upon a foundation of digital art, electronic literature and digital humanities. She is an important voice and influencer on human relation to technology. Rettberg is currently focusing on visual technologies and machine vision and our relationship with them, in her project MACHINE VISION: Machine Vision in Everyday Life: Playful Interactions with Visual Technologies in Digital Art, Games, Narratives and Social Media.
Discover the whole symposium below:
Survival Kit for the Age of Technology from BEK.no on Vimeo.
The artistic contribution from Eva Pfitzenmaier and Tom Verbruggen/toktek during their Studio Session is available here:
Studio Sessions #1 – Toktek and Eva Pfitzenmaier from BEK.no on Vimeo.
Recent Comments