How can a social movement be preserved and represented through archives? What are creative waysarchives can be utilized now and in the future through digital technologies? Since September 17th 2011, protesters with Occupy Wall Street have raised their voices in public spaces across the country and taken it to the streets as well as online spaces. Empowered by new media and social networking sites, many people are using digital tools to get their messages across, to document and create spontaneous moments in history. The digital archives created with and in reaction to the Occupy Movement include tweets, pictures, field recording, videos, streams, websites, graphic design, software and much more.
Join us for a public event for presentation and off-line file sharing on March 31st 3~6pm at Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, NYC. Anyone who wishes to present their work in art, activism and archive can sign up for a short presentation. Video projection and audio amplification will be available. Attendees are welcome to submit a copy of their digital files for preservation in the OWS digital archive and share their content with like minded others. This event aims to present and archive many views of democracy. This event is presented in collaboration with memebers of the OWS Archives Anna Perricci and Christine O’Heron, and‘Speakers’ Corners‘ an exhibition by Taeyoon Choi at Eyebeam.
Please send a brief introduction to your work and archive to activisttechnology@gmail.com by March 26th 12:00PM. More information: http://demo-day.org
An Invitation to an Activist Technology Demo Day.
Jan 28 3~6pm at Eyebeam Art and Technology Center
From Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, technology has played an important role in shaping contemporary resistance and the representation of these events in the media.
We do not believe technology is the main force behind these events and disagree with mainstream media’s phrases such as “Facebook Revolution” as it can lead to a misguided perception of the different movements in general and overshadow the more complex social conditions and regional characteristics specific to each. However we do believe technological innovation has always played a role in social movements and there is a need for collective investigation into the current potential of technologies deployed for activist purposes. Learning from Occupy Wall Street in the fall of 2011, we can collaboratively plot a blueprint for works in near-future.
By using the term Activist Technology, we want to focus on tools of protest and occupation for this event. We are curious about anything from strategic use of social networking sites to bicycle powered generators, instant architecture to anti-police violence suits, real-time video streaming to counter-surveillance tools. Our interest extends to the creative use of technology and designing its social implications.
We invite activists, technologists, artists, designers, and community organizers who have a working prototype or a proposal for collaboration to occupy a desk at Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, NYC on Jan 28 3~6pm. The Activist Technology Demo Day will be open to the public and promoted through Eyebeam and collaborators’ media channels. It will be an opportunity to meet with other makers with similar interests. The day will culminate with a discussion with members of the Eyebeam Urban Research Group and The Public School New York at 5pm.
Please send a brief introduction to your project with a URL of its website by January 20th to ActivistTechnology@gmail.com
Desk space and technology support will be limited and we may not be able to accommodate all projects. You will be notified by January 22nd. Feel free to contact us with questions.
Thank you
Eyebeam Urban Research Group and The Public School New York
For more information on the organizers