SUPRASYSTEMS SUPRA SYSTEMS #1 Systems happen all at once CONTRIBUTORS: Donella H. Meadows PAUL BAILEY Everything happens so much DAVID BENQUÉ @Horse_ebooks LUISA CHARLES Networked technologies are increasingly present JOHN FASS across our lives. They manifest in many ways, WESLEY GOATLEY yet their ‘all-at-once’ nature makes them difficult SARA HENDREN to parse. How can we get to grips with the power NATALIE KANE that these complex systems produce if we can’t JOEL KARAMATH easily comprehend systems themselves? SHANNON MATTERN Supra Systems examines what it means to ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT articulate the forces and politics underpinning TOBIAS REVELL networked technologies. Our authors – artists, MICHAEL SEDBON designers, curators, academics, writers, OLIVER SMITH and researchers – look to almanacs, GEORGINA VOSS artificial intelligence, artificial tornados, data aestheticisation, machine learning, MOLLY WRIGHT STEENSON online sex work, parking lots, radical softness, EWA WINIARCZYK skip-diving, speedrunning and more, as they explore ways to experience, articulate, and interrogate the systems surrounding us.

SUPRASYSTEMS.STUDIO 001 SUPRA SYSTEMS SYSTEMS SUPRA 002 ISBN: 978-1-9164587-0-3 Supra Systems2018 without priorpermissionofthepublisher. photocopying, recording,orotherwise means, electronic, mechanical, retrieval system,ortransmitted byany book maybereproduced, stored in a ofthis Nopart All rightsreserved. and DeirdreRuane Special thanksto Tamar Shafrir Ltd Gilbert Printing: Lamport Design Direction: marionlage.com Design: Public Programme. by fundingfrom theDesignSchool This publicationwasmadepossible London,2018. University oftheArts London CollegeofCommunication, First publishedbySupra SystemsStudio, Marion Lagedamont bb-studio.co.uk

003 SUPRA SYSTEMS SYSTEMS SUPRA EDITED BY GEORGINA VOSS GEORGINA BY EDITED 004 005

É INTRODUCTION TO TO INTRODUCTION SYSTEMS SUPRA GEORGINA VOSS GEORGINA IT IS IN YOUR SELF-INTEREST SELF-INTEREST IS IN YOUR IT TENDER BE VERY TO KANE NATALIE REAL YOU’RE PROVE TO WAVE WINIARCYZK EWA MAYBE BE A LIZARD FIRST BE A LIZARD FIRST MAYBE JOEL WITH A KARAMATH CONVERSATION COSMIC SPREADSHEETS BENQU DAVID LIFE IN EXPLODED VIEW LIFE IN EXPLODED SARA WITH A HENDREN CONVERSATION TRANSPARENCY AGAINST WESLEY GOATLEY STRUCTURES THE AND MIND CREATIVE CHARLES LUISA LEARNING OF MACHINES SEE LEMON TO MCCLYMONT & ALISTAIR JOHN FASS EXECUTABLE SPATIAL SCRIPTS SPATIAL EXECUTABLE SHANNON MATTERN 019 059 021 037 025 049 028 054 009 045 INTRODUCTION SECTION II: ARTICULATE SECTION SECTION I: EXPERIENCE I: SECTION 006 SECTION III:INTERROGATE CONTRIBUTORS ILLUSTRATION INTERLUDE 077 091 100 105 127 120 117 MICHAEL SEDBON MICHAEL MOLLY WRIGHT STEENSON THE UNEXPECTED INTELLIGENCE IN TOBIAS REVELL PLAYINGGAME THE OLIVER SMITH PROGRESS BAR EULOGYTHE FOR ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT PAUL BAILEY INFORMATION, 2018 CTRL AT THE SUN WITH X-RAY VISION WHAT IF WE COULD LOOK

SUPRA SYSTEMS 007 INTRODUCTION 008 009 GEORGINA VOSS GEORGINA 1

2 ?” rather than “What are they made of?”—and made they then are “What than ?” rather INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION TO SUPRA SYSTEMS I am overwhelmed by airplanes. Every airborne trip is a powerfully visceral a powerfully is trip Every airborne airplanes. overwhelmed by I am beast of horizontal the sublime—a and stimulation, sensation, experience of the tangible miles above roaring a building, than a speeding - bigger carriage the down fingers my rituals—running my sea. earth of and I have planes bouts strong any after the ceiling patting entering, upon the door metal on land. when we each plane I tell so well,” done “You’ve turbulence. of the view—I in truth, am, about less is seats window for preference My of the curvature into to lean ability the about more heights—and of terrified event Each artefact and form. huge small self in its my locate and the fuselage a system place, complex larger some from offering an a gift, is the way along There is a problem in discussing systems only with words. Words and and Words words. with only systems discussing in problem is a There order. logical linear in a time at one only come necessity, by must, sentences once. at all happen Systems 2008 Meadows, H. Donella Men in a wide array of fields were prompted to redefine the syntax of the of the syntax redefine to prompted were fields of a wide array in Men ask nouns—to than rather verbs of syntax the in with dealt they systems do systems the do “What do?” systems should these “What all: of question difficult most the ask to 1973 Webber, Melvin and Rittel Horst 010 GEORGINA VOSS SSS needs notSSS needs only to exist but to operate also through practice. design as canon the ofdescribed field, this in order to strengthenthat thecase make churning through an enormous range of works that loosely could be As I’ve hauling been together exhibitions the and studio, the I’ve been mundane office setting. data-driven, automated, and algorithmic decision-making processes ina cultand the which ritual of Bacchanalia are manifested through digital, called Supra Systems: Office Rites at Victoria the Museum, and Albert in nature of systems; and debut the of amulti-performance installation work of an exhibition, Everything Happens Much So explores, which all-at-once the launchthe of SSS at London Festival Design 2018;together with opening the ofCollege Communication, University of London. Arts the book marks This founded Supra Systems Studio at School (SSS),hosted Design inthe London around networked these technologies manifest, my colleagues and Ihave More context: to get agrip on how to try politics the and power swirling owntheir pattern or behaviour over time. are systems, of aset things interconnected insuch away that produce they So, perhaps, let’s have context. some rudimentary Networked technologies meant sent to be to publisher, the hammering through on cheap coffee. task, and I’m now writing on this morning the before final the printfiles are Joke’s on me, words lads:the haven’t submitted themselves to willingly such a interrogate politics the of networked technologies through practice. design argument for very, need—the the urgent very need—to engage with and whenever I’ve attempted to form serious,critically-engaged agood, written different iterations overpastthe month; I’ve stumbled again and again words? I’ve written and rewritten introductory this chapter many inso that, as Donella H.Meadows notes, cannot adequately be using described I mean: how are you meant actually to kick off book about a systems, a form until recently, softwarewritten thethe decade in firstof moon landing. towertall ineach airfield,peoplefull beastsof coaxing aroundthe sky using, regulation-yellow paint on runways the instandardised hex colours. Atall, far beyond my ken—machine-readable barcodes on boarding lines of passes; forces structures that and through institutions. act social have capacity the to manifest potentially systemic, invisible, and intersectional choices made by dominant groups. social processa social ways. There pointsarethree critical to note. First, these technologies work as increasingly present across many of our lives, manifesting inmany different tive human practices. Seaver, technologies these are cultural are they because composed of- collec that bind together with impacts governing their the on society 5 And third, forms, as structural networked technologies 4 3 Second, to paraphrase Nick These These networked technologies are 6

SUPRA SYSTEMS 011 These militarised systems, described These militarised systems, 10 9 ; how “technology” operates as a network of of a network as operates “technology” ; how 8 or get under my fingernails — not like like the not — fingernails my under get or 7 11 metaphorically as the “closed world”, are uncanny harbingers of the of harbingers uncanny are world”, the “closed as metaphorically domestic, our populating currently apparatuses power centrally-controlled artefacts.” and widgets networked with spaces civic and commercial, criticaland insight, deep offered these works Whilst words. words, Words, seemed stick to quite nothing a looming of sweat the frantic or a laser-cutter from plastic burnt of smell in framework a possible of the foundations across I stumbled deadline. But on reporting only not who was H. Meadows, Donella by Systems in Thinking elegantly, — instinctually, grips to actually getting but operations systems terms. their own on systems on do work to practically ways — with discuss systems to in order that argues Systems in Thinking core, its At as properties the same of some “shares that use a language must we properly discussion”. under the phenomenon “At a time when the world is more messy, more crowded, more interconnected, interconnected, more crowded, more messy, is more world the when a time “At more the ever before, than changing rapidly more and interdependent, more better.” the seeing, of ways the to response seems a timely like Systems in in 2008, Thinking Published the into their way making digital technologies networked of groundswell infiltration and speed, saturation, Internet increasing of in the wake world in the manuscript wrote Meadows reality, In spaces. media and other into of the height thirty the since past of years, analysis systems on 1993, drawing Scholars in science and technology studies (STS) have been grappling with with been grappling have (STS) technology studies in science and Scholars so society long, and for technology, materiality, power, of the co-constitution physical and meaning give problems of social how interpretations analysing particular to technologies form New institutes and programmes such as the AI Now Institute in New York York in New Institute the Now AI as such programmes and institutes New for pleas impassioned made have in London Institute Lovelace the Ada and past move to artificialintelligence and learning machine of the fields in technologies, data-driven of arrays emergent around technicalframings experiences, contexts, “human prioritise that disciplines on draw to order socio-politicaland issues”. power populated by humans, machines, and other actants. Artists and Artists and actants. other and machines, humans, by populated power the networked with a century over critically for engaged have designers example, (see, for information of transfer real-time two-way and systems Dada, De, or Stijl, International Third the to Monument Tatlin’s Vladimir severaldecades, for been has around too, theory, Systems Bauhaus). gaining and the RAND Corporation of the work through developing States United by the technologies networked of in deployment the influence the Cold War. during Armed Forces 012 GEORGINA VOSS not—but it’s going to have alife…That’s the difference between designers and eventually going to have to be delivered. Maybe that’s scalability, maybe it’s issues, you’re not just materialising, you’re materialising in aworld where it’s “Thinking in principlesis really quite different from getting shit done. In some that apart idea as aform of provisionality. As Sara states: tension committing between to an form inthe idea of practice and tearing conversation with Sara Hendren of we inwhich Olin College pawed over the This statement in echoed is one the firstof developed book, pieces a this for such as networked and technology climate change. to findcalls ways and parsingmodes of the complexities around systems There is a brute pragmatism at play here.Certainly, there are many other we live to become alittle more complete.” there. Each way of seeing allows our knowledge of the wondrous world in which lens of systems theory. Everything seen through each kind of lensactually is microscope, others through the lens of atelescope, and still others through the things through the lens of the human eye,other things through the lens of a thinking. Ithink it’s complementary, and therefore revealing. You can see some “I don’t think the systems way of seeing better is than the reductionist way of answers. As she says: care and humility. She opens up questions rather than shutting down foralso its generosity of spirit. Meadows asks us to approach complexity with I fell hard for Thinking in Systems faculties. sensory through assemblages, these transcend which human the lifespan, and scale, asking uswhile to consider what it means to feel and our experience way and form. aesthetic “You of parts apicture all can see at once,” she says framing, Meadows moves us into arealm of affect, intention,sensation, over and time insurprising ways. Not satisfiedwith an exclusively technical Whilst systems happen at all once, reveal themselves of they as events aseries sufficient to help us comprehend the complications the of real world. structurethe and terrain of system. the existing Our mental models are not flowcharts—and elegant literary metaphorsthat propelthe acrossreader Thinking in Systemswith visual isrepresentations—graphs, filled diagrams, are system inlight of its context inher inhuman approach, history; systems War. Cold the Her analysis is not on interpretation the based of agiven how it helps solve real problems.” directives, Meadows states, “I am interested inanalysis only Ican when see the context. the —not only for its—not theoretical insight but 14 12 13 In relation to these SUPRA SYSTEMS 013 , only long, entangled entangled long, , only Interrogating the notion of objectivity in the objectivity of the notion Interrogating 15 explores the unfolding of systems in engineering, in engineering, systems of the unfolding explores armchairs philosophers, for whom first principles are simple ways of thinking. thinking. of ways simple are principles first whom for philosophers, armchairs but forget, they because them—not onto hang to designers for harder It’s provisionality.” and commitment the of because the in exploring Systems in Thinking extends and to responds Systems Supra and technologies networked of interrogation and experience, articulation, pieces in reflexive personal, deeply many This book contains systems. academics, and writers, curators, artists, which the authors—designers, and practices emotions, works, in lives, researchers—lookorder their own at intent and aesthetics, structure, behaviour, affect, of the interplay out draw to systems. complex at) a pass make least at (or with necessary engage to those pondering spaces Mattern Shannon with I: Experience opens Section Articulating the peculiarquality happen. make things that flow and force of the to them imperceptible makes scale that spatiotemporal systems—the of our way feel we how asks influence—Mattern of in their sphere constituents to online, up on growing reflecting goes from Kane Natalie through. in the face vulnerability demanding—emotional more, maintaining—even place to means it what of aware becoming are “‘We capitalism. platform of yet “and writes, she spaces,” edgeless with reckon to in networks, ourselves affect also explores Winiarcyzk Ewa them headfirst”. stillwe choose enter to labour emotional how unpicking space, networked in online emotion and “camming”. as known sex work in the online social out and play risks Sara Hendren Finally, - commit and between the provisionality dance arts education; design, and the of practice and those relationships; rehearsing of the possibilities ment; work. in interdisciplinary humility the investigating of ways explore authors , our II: Articulate In Section a of the necessity for argue and systems complex of politics and structures the technology or shiny how matter No so. perspective in doing historical tabula no is rasa there the narrative, groundbreaking histories and layers of stuff. of layers and histories unpacks the influence of Goatley the influence unpacks Wesley data, of perception popular technology that premise under the documentation scientific on photography own his on Drawing hand. the human of the subjectivity remove would the constructed reveals aesthetics that a critical data for argues he practice, in question. the phenomena of the representation underlying interpretations how studying practiceas a own filmmaker, CharlesLuisa her on also reflects debating and process, creative the filter and frame structures and systems Hendren, Like Sara right. in their own creativity of forms whether they are practice; creative design and undergraduate for runs a studio Karamath Joel technology; future-facing of discusses he the meaning in conversation, of a single pedagogy constraints the of developing beyond the benefits 014 GEORGINA VOSS machine learning intelligence. and artificial poked ––offer us ways of understandingboundariesthe permeabilityand of networked technologies’ and unwelcome unexpected responses to being Steenson “play playing the of game”. the Finally, to conclude Molly book, Wright this he argues that offers speedrunning ways us new to interactwith systems, to shortcuts,tricks, and hacks” built into constitution very the of game, avideo back onLooking along of history gamers exploiting “glitches, the cuts, quickly as possible —Tobias Revell users”. In his essay of art —the on finishing speedrunning gamevideo a as representation of chaotic, the unpredictable nature of computers and their interfaces, he progress the deconstructs bar’s attempts an to be “accurate something dies.By looking under user bonnet the of frictionless seemingly mourning for progress the bar, Oliver Smith asks what we when learn andart by science developing multiple across artefacts different realms. In practice conceptually challenges and unites conceptual the divide between andembodies communicates aphenomenon —but, equally, how his andartistic scientific systems of work to question how his own practice Alistair McClymont launches Section III:Interrogate by kicking against both intervention we can pull out and poke at qualities. unexpected their Systems are surprising, Meadows reminds us. But through intent and idiosyncrasies andthe of form scale systems inwhich manifest. our place self-locating and between space, reading and watching, alluding to As interlude, work avisual by Paulcontemplates Bailey instabilities the of forecasting superstition as whimsical or infallible scientificcalculation. algorithms and complicating understanding our polarised of future of acontemporary almanac as away of challenging our faith inpredictive nating intoday’s big data systems; he reflects on hisconstruction artistic Finally, Benque situates David - almanac the culmi inahistorical trajectory and “recognition” portray of by they objects the computer vision systems. Dutch life paintings, still and on other the hand, of observation the images on one hand, depiction the and recognition of lemons inseventeenth-century into classroom. the John Fass Alistair McClymont and draw between, alink discipline; and joys the of skip-diving as away of bringing technology defunct makes a case for makes acase embracing She unexpected. argues the that in takes on takes notion the of system the itself. SUPRA SYSTEMS 015 - - 4). - T.J & Bijker, & Bijker, T.J 7). Code and Clay, Data Edwards, ibid. p7. Meadows, ibid. p5. Meadows, ibid. p6. Ibid. See, for example: Zylinksa, J (201 Mattern, S (201 See, for example: Pinch, See, for example: Minimal Ethics for the Anthropocene. Minimal Ethics for the Anthropocene. London: Open Humanities Press; Stengers, I. (2015). In Catastrophic Times: Resisting the Coming Barba rism. London: Open University Press; H. (2018). What Is Going on with Knox, the Weather? Reflections on Gaps Between Data and Experience. EPIC. at: https://www. [Online]. Available epicpeople.org/data-and-experience/ (Accessed 2nd September 2018). Author. and Dirt:Thousand Years of Urban Five Media. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. W.E. (1984). The Social Construc (1984). W.E. Artefacts: and tion of Facts or How of Science and the the Sociology Technology might Sociology of Social Studies of Other. Benefit Each pp. 399-441; Latour, Science. 14(3), the Social: An B (2007). Reassembling - Actor-Network-The to Introduction Press; ory. Oxford: Oxford University elements of a Callon, M. 1984. Some domestica sociology of translation: the fishermen tion of the scallops and of St Brieuc Bay. The Sociological Review. 32, pp. 196-233.

15. 12. 13. 9. 10. 11. 8. 14. Meadows, ibid. A Note from the 14. Meadows, ibid. A Note from - - - 18).

. (2008). Thinking in. (2008). Thinking . (1997). The Closed World: . (1997). The Closed World: Cr See, for example: Onohua, M. (20 Ibid. Edwards, P Sea Meadows, D.H Ritter The Social and Economic Implications Implications The Social and Economic of Artificial Technologies Intelligence [Online]. in the Near-Term. AI Now. at: https://ainowinstitute.org/ Available AI_Now_2016_Report.pdf (Accessed 2nd September 2018). ticleCitationDownloadContainer (Accessed 2nd September 2018) Notes on Algorithmic Violence. [On at: https://github.com/ line]. Available MimiOnuoha/On-Algorithmic-Violence (Accessed 2nd September 2018); Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, Peace, Journal of Peace and Peace Research. 6:3. Pp167-191 ; Crenshaw, Research The Es- K. (2015). On Intersectionality: of Kimberle Crenshaw. sential Writings New Press. New York: Discourse in Cold War America. 2nd America. 2nd Discourse in Cold War Press. ed. Cambridge, MA: MIT the ethnog culture: Some tactics for of algorithmic systems. Big raphy at: Data & Society. [Online]. Available http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ abs/10.1177/2053951717738104#ar Computers and the Politics of Computers and the Politics M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general the- in a general M. (1973). Dilemmas 4/2, Sciences, ory of planning. Policy pp155-169. Primer. London: Chelsea Systems: A Green Publishing.

7. M.,(2016). K.,andWhittaker, awford, 6. 3 4. 5. N.(2018). Algorithmsas ver, 2 1 Melvin andWebber, W.J., , Horst 016 SUPRA SYSTEMS 017 SECTION I SECTION EXPERIENCE 018 019 - —or not. Our parking Our parking not. —or SHANNON MATTERN SHANNON —here, there, everywhere, there, all the time. —here, W EXECUTABLE EXECUTABLE SPATIAL SCRIPTS in nowhere is Our city ever happens.” “nothing willlocal you, tell teenager is asphalt of patch this generic everywhere. and Yet anywhere particular; it’s into times over, many been recruited, It’s conscripted. and coded, claimed, every as where, inasmall city lot, parking inasupermarket e’re this Even archives. and registers and territories zones, and networks various very all of like spots, boring little plots—where, of characterless most that flows and forces for a conduit happen—is to significance seems ever happenmake things probably It identities. cartographic myriad Our all plots—has lot—like parking as and archives the municipal at maps analog assorted of in the form lives deter representations These office. encoded planning at city the digital files development, and real estate make They buy. or build dig or who can mine happen management resource and preservation historic server a Google centre on aerial in a data an Maps also as image exists lot Uber autonomous or car View Street a If away. far probably somewhere out, sounded imaged, also has been plot our town, to come has vehicle These encodings sensors. lidar and radar, sonar, cameras, by laser-beamed planners, visitors, future the way shape that maps multidimensional generate tedious our and town. will encounter and machines through navigate intelligent 020 SHANNON MATTERN human lives. that that thereof, has power the to make things happen inpeople’s lives—or not. Even circuits systems—or and planetary-scale not. And connectivity, this or lack and effect marginalisation. They patch zones and districts into city-wide opaque living to those inside borders. the scripts These mobilise opportunity that unfold over time, through gestures small and slow moves, and thus seem constituents. activate They socioeconomic culturaland particular practices happen Those multiple encodings are executablescripts that make lots of things determine how representation evenly political is distributed. too,electoral district, drawn whose boundaries can swing elections and samethe schoolbut report to different precincts.Our plotwithin lies an precinct is another domain. Two neighbours on adjacent blocks might go to reinforcethey asimilar politics and privilege mobility. of (social) police The delineation, don’t necessarily match of those postmaster’s the terrain, yet desperate forborders schools. The good schooltheanother district, of spatial York’s 10012)draws retailers looking for desirable target markets and parents as aspatialcode “brand” (consider cachet the of London’s SW1Xor New mail-sorting facility to direct that letter into one bin delivery or another, the machines. barcode on While postal the aletter prompts robots ina ascriptby code, that apostal renders itself legible to humans both and doms, continents, For galaxies. instance, our plot lies within azone defined a variety of spatial categories: plots, zones, wards, counties, districts, king- bycircumscribed an array of other boundaries, at multiple embodying scales, boundaries, adelineation of ownership. Yet it’s ringed and also and bisected prosaicOur plot—or any plot, for that matter—is defined by its property not happening not , but often at temporal and spatialscales that aren’tperceptible their to is itself an event of note, one that proscribes richness the of 021 - NATALIE KANE NATALIE W IT IS IN YOUR YOUR IN IS IT SELF-INTEREST TO BE TENDER VERY tives of our selves, and doing what we can not to compromise them. We are are them. We compromise to not can we what doing and selves, our of tives uncertainty. in the face of guarded, yet being brave, in the social rise of along lived media and swept who us were those of For the millennium, of the turn at the chatroom of timid death the slow, through usernames convoluted through emotions juvenile relentless our sharing as ourselves think to like of not may We performance. early became an feeling. authentic for search we whenever are we what is that but performers, explorations honest blisteringly Chris Kraus’s of writes Leslie Jamison As show. a no less is but sincere more feels person in the first writing self, of to person first own our understand who we of a mediation through live We digital the media and by contradicted or times facilitated various be, at us. surround that platforms survived selves we our the Internet, on nakedly, developing, people young As where Messenger, Instant AOL and Messenger MSN on LiveJournal, through actually were. we bolder than and sexier, and be to older, pretended we us. of painful some to intensely something means window” wrong “Sorry, see to who liked the chatroom over-30s an into deliberately Wandering the clumsy to be, bearing to witness pretending were the we person of sound We are seeing them experience the world in uncountably large numbers; we we numbers; large uncountably in seeing them experience the world are We decide we what choosing are We boldly. and loudly judgements making are the negotiating narra are We back. hold to what and experience others with to everhave. we perhaps, than, people other of seeing more e are 022 NATALIE KANE hard to show ourselves to each other through what we reblogged, what we user’s sensibilities aesthetic with real-life, their vulnerable body. We so tried starting to each other meet flesh. inthe It is delicate territory, reconciling a building intense,friendships with;almost fulfilling ten yearslater, we are alongside. Ionce sought blogs inthe solace of individuals Iimagined who morebecome seemingly stable versions of selves the Iran my own chaos today.them I watched get them realpartners, jobs,find have children, A few of us grewolder together on Tumblr, and I’m with some friends of still complexities Ihad to prepare for ingrowing up. saints of emotion much, too using fully-formed feelings these to support the Everything was adifficultfeeling to work out. Perhapsleant I these on patron redsdeepest and blacks that Mark Rothko could conjure into existence. Frank O’Hara’s explicit romance; Sylvia Plath’s anger swarming amidst the my life. everyday Cy Twombly’s deep, lustful complexities under running with feelings to find in poets thatothers, Istruggled perhapsand myself, in women that Ipreviously had only dreamed about appeared as artists and I met greatest the loves of my life on Tumblr.soft The boys and unapologetic and playlists thatpoetry you desperately wished someone had made for you. images of love, sex, emotion, anger, and interspersed deviance with guts-out On Tumblr inparticular, Ifound (often unattributed and decontextualised) VERY TENDER.” (from Survival so. As Jenny Holzer reminds us, “IT ISINYOUR SELF-INTEREST TO BE softnesspermissionthetheand is necessity to everything, Radical to do feel of expectation the “strength” as arequirement to battle adifficult world. ter to them; favour over them obligation instilled the rational, to be rejecting unashamedunderstood to as tendency the be of our emotions as we encoun- inacarefully softnessbe tocanbest curated feel exposed space. Radical hard edges worked to be through, and feelings the that Iwas allowing myself ways. The Internetbecame a place softness,for radical aplace for myown quieter, behaviors experimental these manifested arenas, innew and innew As Igot older, as MySpace’s more and functions closed AIMbecame social attempts to of make sense what that meant. truly to generation the above us who, ten years older, were already into deep their “online”Being was seductive to me as a14year old, just like it was seductive transgressions.societal it All took was discordant the purr of adial-up tone. didn’t live within aten-mile radius of us and couldn’t who us for tease our above had other all, people on it—other people we who didn’t know and who didn’tsive, who to those especially quite feel belonged. like they The Internet, of representation. The worldoccupied we small seemed andoffline oppres- adapt awkward the manifestations of my personality structures new to these scatter of “a/s/l” throughout other people’s conversations. quickly Ilearned to series, 1983–85). series, SUPRA SYSTEMS 023 - “…it seems to me they were all cheated of a marvellous experience which which experience a marvellous of cheated all were they me to seems “…it it.” about you telling I’m is why which me on go wasted to going is not stand the value (and profitability) of feelings. of profitability) (and the value stand a poet- affection who has O’Hara, Frank I think of sharing, I think of When tendency to his because of the Internet” of been called a “prophet ately everything everyone) experi he about (and - status-like, the world, inform allegory say beyond and reach to meant it knew what He life. enced in daily knew if Frank You so. doing knew he the of risk and say, to meant he what with filledworld his what liked, Frank knew what you you, with in love was all he share to wanted because he it, him for resent never could You colour. In personal. and every intimate you; with poem deliriously loved feels that a line art with about rant a great ends Frank You”, With a Coke “Having all times. pocket back at in my I keep in a tenderness and care with the world reassembled and collapsed Frank man a homosexual cruel brutally to was America—that context—1960s of the modelis a he me, For radical softness. of the king is He age. of coming take to too shy I feel that one albeit home, at I feel where Internet kind of cached, networked, today’s In up. grown I’m I think that that part in now commented on, what we took out of context. One of my fondest recent recent fondest my of One context. of out took we what on, commented them sent I years, ten almost for friendartist an who, meeting is memories from life, daily typeface in my the Windsor I saw whenever of a photo and my continent on coffee had May, in met We miles away. of thousands his. on breakfast later, then, a month Radical with. grew up we what be from inextricable to is up grew we Who as the fragileterritory today, vital more essential is and even then softness was our all with of capitalism, by co-opted increasingly becomes the Internet of and Amazon efficiency. algorithmic of application the growing on anxieties they’ll but be emotions, our of the messiness understand really Google can’t from tryingprofit them. Those if they damned to stop who quantify seek to knowledge this intimate reduce data our using by expression emotional our see potential these as companies long as But easily processed. something to however reading, machine to spaces subjecting these in vulnerable profit and their teenagers isolated depressed, profile to crude, they will continue them to desire friends, advertise objects of to and communities, neighbours, place to it means what of aware becoming acutely are We remedies. as still we choose yet and spaces, edgeless with reckon to in networks, ourselves exercise be a life-giving can online, which Sharing them headfirst. enter to a the everyday—for of the alienation those disenfranchised who by feel for their explore to means the only of one town, in a conservative teenager queer under those that for labour of form exploitable an become has queerness— 024 NATALIE KANE edging the world the edging beyond door: the of dark the night of sensitive the soul, reminds me of value the of acknowl- politics of network, the Iwanted Internet the to save me. Olivia writer Laing, feels unequivocally necessary. Before aware Ibecame of (and involved in)the living sharp is and so treacherous that finding a space to a place steady foot my body, as unsure and untested as it contemporary was. Our networked scaffolding I wouldlater the to face harshneed politics the of worldthrough The Internetoccupied I as a teenagerallowed me to playwiththe emotional light, afaint glimpse of something kinder. against Croatia. Mail Not Daily eventhe of his player’s wept necks as they following defeat their semi-final inthe but was made on no Twitter mockery of Southgate’s gentle yet cradling firm worked appreciation of kindness Maybe is crucial. it’s my own echo chamber, unbearablyseem hostile. It’s afar reach, but of intimes trouble, net this - an unconditional embrace of softness in public forumsthat can otherwise young, England team inexperienced evoked asurge of emotional and energy connect with one another inhard Gareth times. Southgate’s management of a domain for one of few revolutionary the turns inhow we understand and Regardless of one’s feelings about football, it recently unlikely the became and Twitter accounts, sometimes it finds its way out. much.too Thoughthis vulnerability Ihide behindpassword-protected blogs much, loudly too about tender the of parts ourselves is much. too Frank was monetised and indexed version of Internet, the we are told that to say too 1

London: Canongate. ofBeingAlone, Adventures intheArt Olivia Laing(2016) TheLonelyCit of hell. What matters kindness; is what matters solidarity. is this physical and temporary heaven that often so takes on the counte We are in this together, this accumulation of scars, this world of objects, y: . shook that delicate branch. Aquiet 1 nance 025

2 le to learn le to EWA WINIARCYZK EWA Online learning tools decreased tools the Online learning 3 Later it was expanded by the discourse of immaterial labour labour immaterial of the discourse by expanded was it Later 1 emerging from Italian workerism. Italian from emerging a movement peraismo, I You are too pretty to undress here i will pay if you don’t do it. it. do don’t you if i will pay here undress to pretty too are You hidden), chaturbate.com (nickname WAVE TO PROVE PROVE TO WAVE REAL YOU’RE from post-o from through interactive technologies. In these examples, the shifting role of role the shifting these examples, In technologies. interactive through engagement in the time and beentechnology a reduction with has associated new of the production through largely labour, this kind of by demanded possib it made and in teaching involved interaction human the emotional predict to being paid are in. Researchers live in the times we used to are psychologists groups, in different advertisements to reaction emotional as employed are people some and productivity, corporate increase commodified than more never were emotions that bet can argued activities different connects labour Emotional varying to extents. performers those to more entertaining, or consoling, communication, education, as such sex work. or labour, domestic nurturing, as such gender to connected closely tied was the this to labour type of around the discourse Historically, or rights reproductive focused tradition around feminist Anglo-American work. domestic Washing machines, according to some, enabled women to participate in participate to women enabled some, to according machines, Washing sphere. the domestic of outside labour 026 EWA WINIARCYZK you are, only inWestern Europe wallpapers are ugly.” so comment, aviewer seen beneath woman’s the performance, “I know where geographicalthe location is carefully camouflaged. In my observations, I’ve oftenshifts their to privatevery bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, orgarden, and geography, but here it directly influences physicalsafety. The worker’sspace labourDigital ingeneral is characterised by alack of materiality and defined in the Philippinesin the and restricted to heterosexual performances inRussia. stratification.intensify social popularIt is the in U.S. and Europe, butillegal created space for non-physical, safer of work, seemingly types sex yet it may danger—contact clients with both and police. the In away, has technology Virtual work sex to seems differthe conditions in most associatedwith in other, sectors. less-stigmatised industry consoling—the same forms of emotional work already by performed women therefore not only but sex care, also feelings, relationships, conversations, or potentialthe to expand our understanding of what work sex is. The product is undress, touch speak, themselves, or show disavowals faces.These their have simplified the to supplysex. virtual of Yet many the not decide of models to controlledperceived as bodies through Internet, the and work their is and rarely mentioned In work aspect. sex the discourse, camgirls are often pays viewer the to into look someone’s “private” life, is which an important instead of actions soliciting by particular women inexchange for tokens, the argument of direct oppression put forward by some work sex abolitionists; ofact voyeurism. Many to models decide performas couples, challenging the regimentingLess platforms exist, expanding also direct interaction the into an registered as men. performers the arepower: limited to women and viewers the have to be often controlled the by website, presentingkind a of biopolitical Internet completely on demand of viewers. the In reality, gendered the is very aspect lonely women bedrooms intheir or studios, activities performing sexual of transactions. Camming models are often stereotypicallyperceived as butsex, inreality, environment the amuch embeds more complicated variety defined the by platforms.are reductively services virtual as These described private or public shows inexchange for users “tipping” tokens, or currencies fies. The Internet createdspace for camming services—websites offering access to technologies new without limits, yet emotional the intensi aspect - physical of labour aspect may for decrease privileged enough those to have affectivelabour particular, in but intrigued also their difference:by the I am drawn to connection the various between kinds of work sex and labour inmore complicated ways—as following inthe example. tools and systems. However, change can technology also forms of of existing forms 4

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” sex virtual Greenwood, J. (2005). Engines of F hot, always live’: Computer-mediated hot, always live’: - Wom of ‘camming’. sex work in the era no.2 Studies Journal, vol.31, en’s Liberation. Review of Economic Stud of Economic Review Liberation. 72, pp 109–133 ies. vol.

3 4 M.(2017).‘Always andHenry, arvid, P.

6). Affective Labour and 6). Affective Labour Weeks, K. (2007). Life Within and Oksala, J. (201 Against Work: Affective Labor, Feminist Affective Labor, Against Work: Politics. Critique, and Post-Fordist 7, no 1. vol. ephemera, Feminist Politics. Signs, vol. 41, no. 2, Signs, vol. Feminist Politics. pp. 281-303

2 1 The digital environment creates new dangers: the videos are recorded and and recorded are videosthe new dangers: creates digital environment The “ towards directed violence The forever. last potentially, can, workers is not directly physical, yet can have disastrous consequences, as in as consequences, disastrous have can yet physical, directly not is workers lets which of system, this creators The tool. engine cam launched the recently their defended have crush”, your to similar “models a viewer look for the acknowledging even arguments—not dehumanizing through invention already reality, In also could be a camgirl. crush” “your that possibility digital surveillance of pose forms the developing continuously and existing sex work. of disembodied the virtual to harm and forms potential biggest 028 up insoftware, hardware, whatever.or software issue and I’m going to commitcan ifI thissee idea to andmock it to commitneeded to an it to idea, externalise inaway that says, is this a mind; it’s another to have kind of the cognitive deep and affective elasticity hand, provisionality. It’s one that ideas thing the to externalise are inyour cultivate instudents of, asense on one hand, commitment, and on other the about materialising and externalising but ideas; I’m equally to trying dispositional about We design. agree that there’s something really compelling SARA HENDREN:Ifind talking to students myself alot aboutwhat is me up at night at moment. the that Does resonate with you? of what it means for technologies to work way. inthis That’swhat’s keeping materialise world. the But alack of Isense systems literacy or understanding What we dothrough is materialise; design about we think world the as we systems, inteaching as well as through practice, and why that’s important. so GEORGINA VOSS: I’ve about thinking been how we articulate technological which explores encounters between humans and the built environment. engineering students and faculty. She also leads the adaptation +ability group, programming and partnerships with practitioner in the and arts humanities to initiative, funded by the Mellon Foundation, designed to bring three years of the human body. At Olin, she Principal is Investigator for the Sketch Model design projects, and mixed media collaborations that engage technology and of Engineering. Her work includes assistive and adaptive technologies, social Sara Hendren an is artist, design researcher, and writer based at Olin College VIEW: EXPLODED LIFE IN

WITH SARA HENDREN A CONVERSATION SUPRA SYSTEMS 029 But provisionality is difficult to hold in tandem with commitment. Can I Can dial commitment. with tandem hold in to difficult is provisionality But to re-commit I can Then the seams? at open it I rip thing, can that from back the That’s again? I do it can and again, I do it then can And direction? another a with falling in love not only not it’s understand: to students for thing hardest own your with falling in love also not but there, special technology because it’s to want don’t you an idea out because to flesh afraid idea, first being whilenot is dynamism deep about approach This something. waste half-finishing time on trying and out. things design thinking everywhere, about hear what “I recently, me asked Someone questions, with agility an best, it’s its “At I said, that?” and by mean do people and a challenge as thing one with presented are You problems. inverting like chain, the supply the box, redesign can you a whole; parts see as of can it you thinking?” and principles first that “Isn’t said, He entirely.” the footprint and to capacity simple—the describes rather something It right. “You’re I said, think to ecologically a product, at looking think when you’re systemically to responsible is everything how affects everything and therefore about else everything else.” done. shit getting from different quite really is principles thinking in first But in a world materialising you’re materialising: just not you’re issues, some In maybe scalability, that’s Maybe be to delivered. going eventually it’s where first your onto hold to have you And a life. have to going it’s not—but the by provisionality—and, and commitment of do this dance and principles their material, them and with work and all the stakeholders up round way, constraints. governmental and institutional, for philosophers, armchair and designers between difference the That’s to designers for hard It’s of thinking. ways simple are principles first whom the commitment because of but because they forget, them—not to on hang provisionality. and American the tradi- in least at historically, somethingtohere recover There’s Sennet’s Richard In those folks. and Dewey John and pragmatism from tion, practi- about not were the pragmatists that out points he new cities, book on to prototype, to iterate, willto defined continuous was their them What cality. prototyped. being actively see the world unfixed. as systems see to people for even today, is, it rare how over get I never are what “Well, say, people kind, some of a challenge with presented When do People or C. A, B Box Box Box options, do?” the to are These going you do nor future, type of emergent in an co-creators as themselves think of not transformable. and malleable as future that parts of they see the constituent 030 SARA HENDREN the waythe symbols are world inthe acting or with inmind. history think they’re preparation. apaltry still Students don’t understand richness the of majorsbody inengineering, no matter how interested are they arts, inthe order to dointerdisciplinary work. At- an engineering school where every But it’s unclear how much knowledge disciplinary students in really need elaborate as adeliverable at end the of education. going to make right the phone to right the calls people. That’s pretty years down road, the you when find yourself as acivic actor, you’re actually stuff. You may notbe able to interveneright now, but I’m hopingthat ten with healthcare.to deal Your little piece is finite and spoked this all other by super-wide filters: if you’rewiththe environment, to deal trying you’re trying about implications the at Look your of practice through view?” exploded people wantI really think to know, “Can give Iactually my students aliteracy lot of towards backlash that as akind of erasure neoliberal of disciplines. hybrid media, transdisciplinary new practice, or antidisciplinarity. Ihear a days These I am haunted by how peopleabouttalk interdisciplinary or disposition to understand that there are spokes other this to stuff. all is notpart of idea the omniscient representation ofelements, the all but the SH: That’swhere the falls The apart. view” analogy important“exploded or something else? machine learning: there’s aroad with some white dots on it, are sheep they are you pulling out? you’re Because not Think about getting everything. that are deeply and politically culturally and What personally loaded. parts out but developing framing, bringing apartial together of aset metaphors we have rubrics to “see” with. It’s not just eachnut seeing and bolt exploded whole the system—thecan never political, see contextual, and on. so Instead, John and about Berger talked constituent the seeing of parts asystem. But we recently by David Ha on from machine Google learning where he referenced view,ed that is coming CADdiagram where apart. everything Isaw atalk themselves.point The engineering is view superof interesting—that- explod GV: I’ve about thinking been how and we experience articulate systems or 27years of age? about, say, climate change, in your developmental moment at 19or 20,or 26 mation—especially faceof inthe overwhelmingly difficult information contextualthis stuff.Can or social you stay the face plastic in inforof new but commitment-provisionality the approach eludes It them. has to do with that world the is up for grabs. That’swhat I’m to harness trying for students, constituent turning parts and sparkling un-fixedness. intheir canThey tell world view, inexploded that beautiful form ofthe drawing. see They thingbestThe about engineerspeople the thatand see is technology they - SUPRA SYSTEMS 031 : People rightly say that we can’t conceive of AI as a technical problem; a technical problem; AI as of conceive can’t we that say rightly GV: People do do you what Fine—but capitalism. it’s technology, not is the problem that Internet? a post-capitalist of conceive and all down it burn Do you that? with our in now, live we world the material point starting your take as Or do you death? impending our lifespan, human - pragma the love why I is This card. trump principles a first about SH: Talk do we end what To optimism. a pathological it’s I suppose engineers; tism of consciousness? and dignity energy our and dedicate humility. court to engineers young for advice your to back coming GV: I keep at instead looking hero, the lone the idea of challenge we design education In these also we processes But system. a largerpart challenge as of and networked to, back comes it When engineering. in technology and narrative the heroic do these design can things “Only saying, nervous about design?” I’m “Why piece in a policy a well-crafted PhD recognise school; I what I did my us!” for buildings. does many to legislation of to wired secretly are us of A lot humility”. “courting of is essence the SH: That parts essential of the most at gets the world describing of way our believe that ofby capacity the delighted are distilledthe I know world. mathematicians The and purity its to attracted they’re and describe to the world, mathematics call the would local, Toulmin Stephen what in involved not abstraction, that it’s doesn’t think, psychology “Why into who go People the oral. the particular, 032 SARA HENDREN this workthis now? GV: We have always had systems and always we will have systems. Why do and Ican’t awalk. take world the believe lost person, what this abright light. moved Iwas so your partial. is by so view that, Ihad to put down book the altogether. Hold provisional—the inthe everything joke’s on you because PlacesIn pinnacle to Intervene is: the from detached be the, of idea paradigms withsparkled intelligence and wit, it because was informed by humility. this digintoI actually Places to Intervene in aSystem. Everything about her prose SH: Ihad read little excerpts of hers for years, but not until January did conceive and view metaphors, the of exploded the both them, to Ilook her. “Systems happen at all once”: about Ithink when how and we experience straight jump into “everything happens much”. so Systems Primer that “systems happen at all once” and from there it was a GV: She was how exhibition the was named! She has that great line inher I’m about thinking also Donella Meadows—have you read much of her stuff? where engineers are given much so cultural prestige and rewards. monetary todesigners need hear that more than U.S., inthe other people—especially own and history therefore an agent inyour future? Perhaps engineers and question: what is education for? Canyou yourself see as aproduct of your or doctors?policy It’s about acivic being actor. That bringsback us the to compelling way world, the to describe but we’re at apoint where we need at others. Canyou cultivate kind of the self-awareness that to is see a design build abetter one. part Theirmay be foregrounded somepointsat and muted technologists are of part alarger ecosystem attempting to repair world the or What interests me implication inthe is how of view exploded the young other than it is. “thinking as otherwise”. ifthings could be It’s like alaunchpad for stuffbe to emergently through that that’s thing, imagination. it social as She described gather around an insome artefact frame, making meaning with each other orarts what’s artefacts, really important imagination. is social When people waswho aphilosopher of She aesthetics. would say that about we when talk designersbecause are interveners. I’ve reading been alot of Maxine Greene designersAnd are Ithink just as subject to that same impulse, particularly more foundational? it needs than that? to live. Everybody If I’m studying medicine, what could be Andthat?” ifI’m studying science, what food more could be foundational ogy, I’m studying human behaviour -what more could be foundational than studyeveryone We’re this? studying foundations. the If I’m studying psychol- SUPRA SYSTEMS 033 : I’m of two minds about this. When I worry about very I worry this. particular about When kinds about minds two of SH: I’m logical ethics or of in terms being outpaced and technologies network of isn’t “But friends say, historian they my mean, what of understanding a to effecttechnologies those and power and agency so much attributing environment so engineering inheritance?” immersed I am in an technocratic recent Whittaker’s Meredith then I look at But that. be to subject I may that responsibilities? specific our are what myself: ask and Maven, Project on work - in innova notion big One economics. industrial to rewind to going GV: I’m of sectoral patterns and regimes technological the idea is of studies tion at you look if affordances: different do have Technologies technical change. to system a very different it’s industrially, developed has biotech that the way presence. and materiality to back comes which again construction, to IT or the about specificallyis different “What is, in interested I’m question The technologies?” these networked of quality and articulation the wrong precisely it’s I think that that, articulate you I hear SH: When - undergradu for system—particularly kind of one in just land to do, to thing specificity, and relevance the side of err on if you Even in engineering. ates willyou ethical and qualifiers, social, contextual, a thousand have even if you win. always historians this where is And the particular. by still be constrained - artist-in-resi our incoming is Mimi Onuoha disciplinarity. to gets back This an she’s that is so compelling work her makes what and Olin, at dence these that understands She Princeton. from undergraduate anthropology and to specificities, these attend can you and specificities have systems taking a multi-pronged those to by things responds practice her therefore work. community collaborative installations, approach—journalism, whole one’s bringing ideal an of as toward students my I point should What these has particu that - a system into convictions ideals civic and and identity toolbox? need in your do you them? What to whilelarities, also attending also aesthetics, but and chops—narrativity need disciplinary and literacy You the broad of nothing say to engagement, about practical communication view. a historical of humility technology is in design or do in the classroom can we that I think the utmost thinking, try to systems enact to of a kind and this relationship rehearse to questions. to approach committed provisionally alternating, exploration, for place as a classroom aspect of the “prehearsal” the GV: There’s the world. into out heading before well, as failure and uncertainty, messiness, publicly but critically engaged produce SSS can how been thinking about I’ve responsiveness”. “industry for demands particularlyin the face of work, facing 034 SARA HENDREN (Interview conductedonJune8,2018,andeditedcondensed forclarity) (Interview slow thinking. research, ethnography, and anthropology just parts to teach slow and time that, much so when of our here time is about elongating artificially the and to willingness dothat is difficult toteach. It’s the resilience todo and anthropology andsociology wayfinding else. The energy everything and work inthat way, eventhough it follows you’ve rules the all from learned workthing you will way. think inacertain Ofcourse, invariably it doesn’t that you when iterate through and account for and parts the execute all the youwhen understand is only that view road. the half exploded the You learn SH: You why learn first principles—orthinking—always design fall apart wayspecific of doingthings. GV: Ilove working inaspace that inhabits properties, those but it’s areally SH: That’sright. exactly to move and keep going. There’salways lack a time.of consider forms, and political ethical once you hit material the realm you’ve going to go wrong. As much as about we think retaining plasticity and pretty quickly, making it because is going hard so to is be and everything to acolleague aboutwas talking how coming up with an has idea to happen it’s that also something when happens fast, it happens really fucking fast. I We’re always going bound to to be some extent by funding and support; but responsiveness and urgency, with. that traditional struggle styles academic GV: There’ssomething about the to need workwith speed, at industry unless you’re at aplace where people nominally came to get into industry? instead of responding demand? to industry How are you going to dothat But how are you going to test proposition this to networked lead technologies I think. and feel and connect to one another.that Thisthe hill is I’m willing to die on, training and rehearsals and prehearsals to sculpt how technologies these look youdesign: stay way out infront, not just interms of but scenarios, also latitude about what to needs lead.Thatthe is argument for speculative operate; will ogies you to need prototype future the with an unapologetic youin which name relationships the and by policies the technol these which - whyThis is matters design so much. It’s not only a articulating utopian world SH: You have to keep claiming latitude the for exploration and articulation. SUPRA SYSTEMS 035 SECTION II SECTION ARTICULATE 036 037 WESLEY GOATLEY WESLEY 1,2 Given these stakes, can the notion of objectivity be objectivity of these the notion can stakes, Given 3 W AGAINST AGAINST TRANSPARENCY challenged by examining how data is perceived? And how can critical can artistic how And perceived? is data how examining by challenged this subject? furtherpractice explore surpassto technologyus allows the with begins belief that investigation This objective an to access grants and perception subjective our of the “limitation” Peter and Daston , Lorraine their 2007 book Objectivity In theview world. of the belief through examine and objectivity” callGalison this “mechanical Similarly, data scraped from human online interactions and behaviours is is behaviours and interactions online human scraped from data Similarly, - the com of depiction accurate be to an claims because it deemed valuable satisfying the long-held consumers, of hidden desires or contradictory, plex, yourself. about know you than you about more know to advertisers goal of has data such system, in a consumerist potential exploitative Beyond its assessments”, “predictive usedis make it to when ramifications life-changing a cross to individual an of the right about accuracy, supposed based its on borders. country’s exploitation. of a tool become can it humans, of subjectivity and the biases projects city” the “smart as such governance, data-dependent of forms New data that the understanding on predicated are the world, across emerging free of the view world, objective of confused an is with data hen the of account unbiased and precise a mechanically is a city from gathered be better can used make this data to that and gathered, is which in it city objectivity and infallibility in data’s faith The in government. decisions “smart and processes decision-making drive to the authority with it endows - commu and the individuals place may faith this same logics. However, city” in voices their subjective devaluing by risk at population the city’s of nities data. of voice the “objective” to relation 038 WESLEY GOATLEY device removeddevice “hand the of man”, tion of hand the of man”. In other words, exchange the of artist the for the appear, and independently of interpretation…without all least the contribu community saw camera the as “exactly representing as objects the they scientists.the Early adopters of scientific inthe technology this atlas the between conflict “subjectivity” the of artist theand objectivity desired by In eyesof the some scientists, advent the of photography resolved the Page from intended as to objective be as possible. florathe or fauna introduced an undesirable subjectivity to a process many scientists felt that artists’ the interpretations of how to represent best tensions artist and between scientist field inthe of atlas production,where with descriptions written by scientists. Daston and Galison chart the intent; one typical format coupled images of flora and fauna drawn by artists scientific Theseatlases wereatlases. often heavy tomesencyclopaedic of layer involving subjective interpretation and decision-making. Far from processor and experience, with skill, the “eye” of photographer, the each material components such as camera the body, lens, and film/image understanding of photography. Photography combines and technical To acontemporary photographer, may this like an seem incredibly naive from, nor altering scientists’ the of world. view the ent and objective component of process, the neither adding to, subtracting through mechanism the of camera. the Thecameratranspar as a seen was Voyage de découvertes auxterresaustralesVoyage dedécouvertes 5 finally realising view an impartial 4 (1807-1816)byFrançois Péron. - - SUPRA SYSTEMS 039

6

7,8 truth, but rather a constructed, a constructed, rather truth, but When the process of creation is broken down, the subjectivity of aestheticisa- of the subjectivity down, broken is creation of the process When as such forms, common and simple most even in its evident: becomes tion of much how include, to data what about made are decisions graph, the line and it, publish or present to where visual language, what in format, in what it, no are there itself, data the collection like of Much which audiences. for aestheticisation; data of in the process decisions impartial or “innocent” data Neither their authors. ideologies of and enact the values these decisions a an priori represent aestheticisation its nor the view world. on subjective and fallible, objectivity” belief in “mechanical mentioned the previously Nevertheless, the through aestheticisation data of in the work reassert in itself to attempts that implies transparency this context, In “transparency”. goal of declared do that data of representations be objective should and can aestheticisations the like (much “truth” the underlying misrepresent or from “distract” not ironically, In atlases). way this ideology scientific in the history of scientists’ data of methods in the process subjective be to “transparent”, claiming by objectivity. as masquerade aestheticisation forms of human subjectivity—the decisions made by the creator of the of the creator device, by made decisions subjectivity—the forms human of judgement unavoidable the and capture, cannot and it can which define what themselves. the photographer of of data logic in used collection be can the subjectivity This to identifysame sensor by a given gathered data The objectivity. to claims its unravel to and placement, construction, material its in made thedecisions determined by is judgements Further factors. other amongst precision, and units activation, otherwise and “cleaned”, arranged, stored, is the data how about made are constitute judgements These published. or applied is it before even processed, judgement the subjective requiring step each subjectivity, data’s of the layers one than person). more from In the (perhaps decision-making of human by guises different in many be can captured event a single that way same world produced inthe data cameras, different with photographers different constructed it, view possible of one just but “truth” the objective not is decisions. subjective through also carrystorage and analysis, collection, in data inherent subjectivities The methods term for umbrella aestheticisation—an data the of practice into over can Data etc. sonification, visualisation, as such perceptible, data making of being aestheticised, whether visualised Excel by be in an perceived only glass window. a stained of panels in the coloured plotted or spreadsheet being transparent or objective, photography is irrevocably bound to multiple multiple to bound irrevocably is photography objective, or being transparent The necessity of aestheticisation grants it a substantial role in perpetuating in role perpetuating substantial it a grants of aestheticisation necessity The of data. understanding our cultural influencing and 040 ARTICLE TITLE 041

SUPRA, SYSTEMS installation view. view. installation Wesley Goatley, 2018 Wesley Goatley, Atmospheric Disturbances Atmospheric 042 WESLEY GOATLEY and where are world. inthe they experienced Aesthetic forms have own their cultural contexts, own their narratives of how tion—that it can express far more than data the alone. transparency most misses the potent also affordance dataof - aestheticisa objectivity through sublimation the its layers of subjectivity. Striving for is thus an unachievable aim —one that promotes discourse the of data’s Given inescapably the nature partial of data aestheticisation, “transparency” interpretation of data. graphics donot transparently reveal data—they create subjective anew of representation. The underlying issue is a matter of ontology, not aesthetics: Aestheticisation it hasthedata behind left through is something the act new; data is not equivalent to phenomena the world inthe that it measures. phenomenologically distinct to data the itself, inmuch same the way that engage with world the through agreater multivalence of forms and methods ics: it of is no data longer but service inthe rather coupled with data to premise the Deconstructing of transparency way in this repositions aesthet- areexplicitly morethat entangled subjectivity. with human ing to other (from logics ethics and economics to religion and nationalism) problems of acomplexity beyond capacities the of human rationality accord- aformas ofdata of empiricalnotion objectivity,the of data as “answer” the to interpretativethe framework of practice is artistic afundamental challenge to about data” about forhe calls authors their to employ “graphical excellence” that tells “the truth Edward Tuftetransparencysets as acentraldata in visualisationgoal when Quantitative of In Display hisInformation influential The book 2001 Visual interaction defined the by subjectivity perceiver.the of inducing thought without defining it, thereforeand eluding resolution—an This resonateswith Immanuel Kant’s account as experience of aesthetic there. of aestheticisation, framing it as apractice that merely shows what is already Tufte’s claimthat “graphicsdata” reveal impliestransparency a and innocence author. the of bias personal data’s subjectivity but data to visualise “truthfully”, and therefore without the open-ended interactions artist, work, the the between and audience. the of practice,in artistic Henk terminology to the use Borgdorff, produces ceived form of consequent knowledge. Thiscapacity for “unfinished thinking” claims. Aesthetic interactions with have art no defined result, no precon - of knowledge and overlaid experience aesthetic with data’s epistemological than just sum the of data. the Rather, generate they hybrids of different modes to data,it,withentangled contextstheir become more producing something far 10 In aestheticisation fact, creates arepresentation of data is which 9 . Telling from truth, the his is perspective, not to foreground 11 When forms these are applied 13 Situating data within 12

, SUPRA SYSTEMS 043 - , air pollution data data pollution , air 14 , Verdi’s work acts a paradigm as work , Verdi’s data places it in dialogue the wider with world. it places data collected in Milan was sonified using voices from Giuseppe Verdi’s 1848 Verdi’s Giuseppe from voices using sonified collected was in Milan or increased pollution themeasured : as Legnano di Laopera battaglia an was Legnano di La battaglia in volume. fell and rose decreased, the voices the twelfth-century dramatised that opera political revolutionary explicitly first set in and Empire, Roman the Holy over victory the Lombards of struggling for were states a time when the Italian at performed in Milan Empire. the Austrian against independence Atmospheric of Disturbances the context In From practice. of creative and capacities criticalpolitical the exemplifies that and an allegorical such through data the aestheticising perspective, Tufte’s be a particular embodying would political agenda language metaphorical entangles work my But “transparency”. goal of a nominal to contradictory reading of process thecontemporary with political narrative this historical to war used opera a historical Verdi’s of the staging As data. pollution air Atmospheric Disturbances events, ongoing about a political statement make anthropocentric of age in the data air of pollution on collection the reflects be cannot this subject on data political act. No explicitly an as change climate any can neither truthful, complete—and or objective, neutral, as understood data. that of aestheticisation - the aestheticisation Rather in implicat this is the installation data, than “reveal” chronology. historical longer much a and wider political narrative a much in ed when phenomena, any almost about created or be can measured data When has aestheticisation available, are methods aestheticisation different so many aestheticallybe to a socially and the potential critical, politically engaged, to a trap, as “transparency” of expose the notion To practice. creative potent in aestheticisation objectivity of claims reinforcing the mutually untangle - aesthet and both data of the subjectivities interrogate to is truth in data, and powerful. more and apparent more their affordances make to and icisation it investigates of data: criticalstudy the of enquiry deep into extends line This as a it and wields who felt, are effects its where in the world, manifests it how power. of source tion highlights data’s subjective and interpretative character;- if used con interpretative and subjective data’s highlights tion ideologically contentious the politically and out draw can it scientiously, When these relationships. shifting and situatedness its data, of nature hypocriti- (rather and vilified than rather explored practiceare of affordances data. with interactions and new perceptions cally) they denied, provoke can aesthetics with Using aesthetici- of data works own my in pursue I is something repositioning This Atmospheric Disturbances 2018 installation my In sation. and a broader scope. An experimental and expressive practice of aestheticisa of practice expressive experimental and scope. An a broader and 044 WESLEY GOATLEY 9 8 vid Beer(2017)‘Envisioning the 7 6 5 aine Daston, PeterGalison 4 3 2 ven Poole (2014) The truthabout 1

(Accessed: 19thAugust 2018). trol-a-history-of-the-urban-dashboard/ placesjournal.org/article/mission-con Places Journal.Availableat: https:// trol: A history oftheurbandashboard. 2018). buzzphrase (Accessed:19thAugust stroy-democracy-urban-thinkers - ies/2014/dec/17/truth-smart-city-de August 2018). dictive-assessments (Accessed: 19th news/2015/aug/10/us-no-fly-list-pre at: https://www.theguardian.com/us- of hardevidence, USadmits, Available uses ‘predictiveassessments’instead destroy 1democracy’, Available cities:‘Intheend,theywill smart Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. Display ofQuantitativeInformation, Press. University Cambridge, MA:Harvard Communication &Society,21(3), power ofdataanalytics’,Information, 2018). stained-glass/ (Accessed: 19thAugust ment-event-of-14-september-2014-in- talbennes.com/portfolio/atlas-experi stained glass, Available at: http://crys ment event of14September, 2014in Bennes(2014) ATLASCrystal Experi Books. (2007) Objectivity, NewYork: Zone Edward Johanna Drucker(2014)Gr pp. 465-479. Da ibid. Donné184 Lorr Spencer Ackerman(2015) No-fly Shannon Matte at: https:/ Ste p. 53 TufteVisual (2001) The /www.theguardian.com/cit rn (2015) Mission con rn (2015)Mission 4-45, quotedonp.131 aphesis, - list ------14 13 (2011)‘TheProductionenk Borgdorff 12 11 10

2018). turbances/ (Accessed:19thAugust wesleygoatley.com/atmospheric-dis- Disturbances, Available at:http://www. edn., Indianapolis:Hackett Judgement, Trans: WernerSPluhar Michael Biggs,Henrik Research’, in of Knowledge inArtistic Symbols, Indianapolis:Hackett AnApproach to a of Art: Theory of Wesley Goatley Immanuel Kant(1790)Critiqueof Karlsson (ed.) H Nelson Goodman(1968)Languages ibid, p.13 Publishing. Publishing. Routledge, pp.44-63. ion to Research NewYork: In The Arts. The RoutledgeCompan (2018)Atmospheric

- 045 LUISA CHARLES LUISA In other words, original thought isn’t creative creative isn’t original thought words, other In 1 Th STRUCTURES AND THE THE AND STRUCTURES MIND: CREATIVE MAVERICKS, ON SUBSCRIBERS, RELUCTANT NERDS AND simply because it is “out there”, but requires some sensitivity and response to to response and sensitivity some requires but there”, “out is because it simply Project Film Hour 48 the for a film while was co-producing ventures creative scratch film a short from make in which you competition (a self-explanatory tried we to producer, fellow my Lucio, alongside Working days). two in just in play systems that role the about really I thought time e first for best allow would that in a way a hectic weekend organise and structure in a structure at we looked each clear it that became Yet flourish. to creativity a of creating prospect by the excited I was Whereas way. very different ofthe members have could we that foolproof so schedule efficiently shooting ensuring with concerned more far was Lucio the clock, around working team track. on us deadlines actually kept our that attainable, were goals our that organise to bother shouldn’t we that thought team our of member A third a creative out plan to attempting by that all, reasoning at the endeavour so far even went He entirely. the artistic integrity take away would we activity set. on once use passersby we booking than actors, rather that, suggest to as define the to important is it creativity, and systems speaking about When - “the interac as Beghetto creativity define Ronald and Plucker Jonathan two. or individual which an by environment and process, aptitude, among tion useful defined and as both is novel that product a perceptible produces group a socialwithin context.” 046 LUISA CHARLES difficult to commit toplans and importantdecisions. happythem rather than pleasing people around and them, often find it flexible and to open opportunities; they are likely to whatprioritise makes information, and hone inon details). Perceivers are characterised as being tend to on focus what is immediately in front of prioritise them, and facts possibilities, and looking at bigger the picture (incontrast who with those MBTI framework, intuitive rely types more heavily on imagination, ideas, Intuition refers to way the one inwhich ininformation. takes Under the and “perceiving” categories. creativity correlates most strongly into fall who with those “intuition” the famousthe personality index, Myers-Briggs the Type Indicator (MBTI)— outcomes. toideas useful their According to Isabel Myers—author Briggs of creative projects, completing creative the thought process, and novel taking procedures or constrained, being indelivering are evils they necessary that, They althoughrecognise creatives may not enjoynecessarily following Those intothat the fall reluctant subscriber category are alittle pragmatic.more archetype, reluctant the subscribers. something to work towards, effective is which particularly forsecondthe from purely and Deadlines goals give abstract to useful. people actually moving into convergent the stage of structures help thinking, to ideas take Novelty, however, is not only the requirement for acreative When idea. preventing creatives from coming up with something novel. express for ideas their fear of “getting it wrong”, causing mental blocks and Constraints can create an environment people inwhich donot feel to free are to harmful ideation particularly at stage this of creative the process. enforcedExternally structures such as assessments and formal processes that achieves something.” is an “interconnected of set elements that is coherently organised inaway contexts, and practicalities, Asystem, needs. as defined Donellaby Meadows, that narrows down ideas. divergent such thinking as brainstorming is followed by convergent thinking resonates with “double the diamond” of model process, design the inwhich as to barriers expression free and enemies of creativity. Thatperception The maverick tendssoul,be seeing to an organisationartistic and structure nerd. and the archetypes, Ihave which the chosen to call maverick, the reluctant subscriber, professionals about systems within creativity, Idiscovered three main lems, generate multiple ideas, and not be distracted by extrinsic concerns.” interest,prob the enjoyment,- “havecommitment to identify and necessary 3 2 During the divergent the During stage, individuals must Speaking to Speaking fellow designers, artists, and creative 4

SUPRA SYSTEMS 047 If design is inherently creative, then designing logistics and logistics then and designing creative, design inherently is If 5 structures must be considered a creative practice as well. as practice a creative be considered must structures a shoot to hours three just had I and a smallteam project, film a recent In to do order In child actors. first-time performed by short, 60-shot 10-minute, shot location, by the shots organised that a spreadsheet created we that, It is unsurprising, therefore, that intuitive and perceptive creatives often work work often creatives perceptive and intuitive that therefore, unsurprising, is It requires creativity them. If imposed upon are when external structures better can we outcomes, advantageous and suitable and thought both innovative one's side of the intuitive from emerging ideas naturally as novel look at - tenden inherent not are self-imposed rules constraints and but personality, it find people creative a deadline, many Without side. the perceptive cies of an and allowing iterating continue can and outcomes, finalise to challenging or a brief having hand, the On other end. no to grow and idea grow to to one look and allow of possibilities influx the filter help can constraint picture. the bigger the and details at simultaneously aid only not constraints recognise that that nerds—those the are Then there them- of in and creativity of expressions constitute but process the creative Obstructions Five The in demonstrated famously most idea This was selves. remake gets Trier Lethto von the Leth. film, In Jørgen and Trier Lars von by a different with times, each five Human Perfect film The short masterpiece his to world place in the theworst film in the shooting restriction—from or brief lengthy the final documentary Although a cartoon. shows into it making of reactions focus is the main its experimental films, the remade sections of the obstructions. following of the process and the men of form as a artisticof creation recognisepracticesartprocess fine the Many art in galleriesthe found across canvases plain white various The expression. in which they the way for but their aesthetic beauty for not hailed are world rule-based is example Another reasoning. their conceptual and created were a single, Bernard Cohen drawing painter the British like artistic processes, this algorithmic recently, More canvas. filledan entire it until line continuous digital controls. through executed been art has to increasingly approach - program by works creates the term algorist, who coined Verostko, Roman he Though brushes. calligraphy using paint to machine a penming plotter himself still he considers himself, the paintings execute physically does not the code behind the artwork. creates because artist he an a be considered producer a film of Could the role there? stop why But a well-designed than beautiful more nothing is there many, To one? creative Council Societies Industrial of the International to According spreadsheet. - the multi-facet establish to whose activity is aim creative Design, design “a is services, in whole objects, processes, of theired systems qualities and cycles”. life 048 LUISA CHARLES 3 2 1 morecertainly avenues explored to be withinrealm. this gets my flowing blood like pure, unadulterated efficiency, there and are measures, or welcome forms of articulation and expression. Nothing quite hand banes the inhand—be of they our collective existence, unavoidable Whether we like it or not, it is undeniable that creativity and systems go planningthe and process, the it was unquestionably athing of beauty. Was striking film visually Certainly and final the not. well-made? But within production line of We sorts. finishedthe shootwith five minutes tospare. different characters indifferentlocations simultaneously—creating filmic a done. changes This minimised thecamera in set-up and enabled us to shoot width, and importance inorder tothe find most efficient way to get all it

Process: WhatistheDoubleDia Publishing. in Systems:APrimer, ChelseaGreen Psychological Association realization. Washington, DC:American (ed.) Creativity: From potentialto L. Grigorenko,andJerome L.Singer J.Sternberg,Elena inRobert Matter’, cific, andWhytheDistinctionDoesn’t General, WhyitLooksDomainSpe tto (2005)‘WhyCreativityIsDomain Donella H.Mea Jonathan A.Plucker Design Counci l (2005) TheDesign dows (2008) Thinking dows (2008) Thinking , RonaldA.Beghe - - - 5 4

mond (Accessed: 22ndAugust 2018). design-process-what-double-dia- designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/ mond?, Available at: https://www. (Accessed: 22ndAugust 2018). org/about/about/articles31.htm Design, Available at: http://www.icsid. ty Press,pp.297-312. ty. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Universi Sternberg (ed.) Handbookofcreativi- ‘Motivation andcreativity’,inR.J. ICSID (2002) D M. A.Collins, T. M.Amabile(1999) efinition of Industrial efinition ofIndustrial

- 049 A CONVERSATION CONVERSATION A WITH JOEL KARAMATH JOEL WITH Joel Karamath is the Course Leader for BA (Hons) Interaction Design Design Interaction (Hons) BA for Leader Course is the Karamath Joel MAYBE BE BE MAYBE FIRST: LIZARD A and film in background His Communication. of College London at Arts between relationship the in interest inherent an has he and studies, cultural environment. studio the in manifests this how and practice and theory Design Arts (IDA) in Interaction did the BA : How GEORGINA VOSS To set the scene: evolution? that into did technology fit how and develop, the and see I can both where the computers studio in the IDA sitting we’re technology into brought you’ve how about curious I’m space. workshop the years. over teaching serendipity of element an all with there’s things, : As JOEL KARAMATH there IDA, of the inception to years twelve to ten back go we If involved. time—predominantly that in the design school at pathways of a number were Then there book advertising, publishing. design for illustration, typography, letterpress on bolt could you illustration doing were if you “bolt-ons”: were relevant. was because it image” “moving like out, coming were areas other that It soon became obvious but growing were areas then. These two known was it as “interaction”, and with things doing were Illustrators the courses. of any to belong really didn’t so media they people as became popular animation, and images moving atthe time wisdom The filming. and editing and promos do pop to wanted - interac for one and image moving for one new pathways, two make to was pathway one make so they “We’ll said, money, enough wasn’t there But tion. very a was fortuitous It (IMI). Image” Moving and and call it Interaction 050 JOEL KARAMATH dinosaur first.” want to fly”, and we’resaying, “Well, you mightbe alizard to need or a day one. Alot of people say “I’m land now, on dry I’m going abird, to be I naturally slower of pace evolution. We were crawling out of swamp the from is that want they to get to future the straight away, and miss out they on the One of problems the that with alot Isee of courses new ininteraction design wouldn’t have become “Interaction Arts”. Design would it never IMI—but call I’m that certain ifit hadn’t it IMIthen called and how If we think. we were to course this start from scratch today, we The term hasitself bothered never really us. It’s how the terminology we use even thoughthing, it’s next thing the for new been quite along now. time people attach it to alot of things. But it’s much as next the new very seen still “multimedia”, and on. so “Interaction” works inthat way at moment: the media”, nowJK: Every and you then, zeitgeist get these phrases—“new other places might conceive of “interaction” meaning “digital”? GV: Canyou say more on how “interaction” elsewhere, gets and used how box? cardboard and idea the what’s to Is technology use? best the it an Arduino or a thanRather saying, “I’m going to dosomething with an Arduino”— what’s to come to fruition?” agnostic; it’s that it is essential to ask “What’s your How idea? doyou want it Technology is always secondary. It’s not we’re because completely media- high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech. This is acourse about ideas, not technology. Very early on, [course Biggles tutor] to started say that course the could be number of really different areas”. moving image into it arts, the allows us to say, “Actually, it’s interaction for a that’s etcetera.design, Ithink aunique way of looking at it. When you bring is in film studies—but we workthrough adesign-led approach, throughfilm course firstdesign-led and foremost. We do moving image—mybackground remit. The philosophy the courseof grounded is thinking: within design it’s a “Interaction Art”, Design and that gave terminology us an evenbroader known for of type work the it produced. After revalidation it was renamed here—wetrue have amuch broader remit. IMIquickly evolved and became courses “interaction” use degree Most interchangeably“digital”. with That’s not That was interesting in terms the wayof “interaction”.the term view we given tradition, inhindsight which was ahuge luxury. Moving Image” mean? But it had to time develop without constraints the of a accident in its own way. It was odd, of course: what does “Interactionand SUPRA SYSTEMS 051 - ing engine?” You get a sense of how these systems operated in previous in previous operated these systems how a sense of get engine?”ing You looks that course a Does through. carried have their politics how and centuries forward to think more students and critically allow back about technology? of notion history in the Western consider or that, like it isolate can’t JK: You Technology instead. forward corkscrew cycle or might when it time, linear article an I saw sowhich is important. misses a visceralsometimes element, I said, and tools, kids power gives nursery that a daycare about day the other tertiary Thoseas in visceral diminished aspectsbeing are education, “Yes!” an There’s mitts. goggles and and coats white into everything forced is to evolve to things your also getting but things, your with evolving of element you as well. white interchangeable in traditional, operate design courses degree Many be to everything ending aiming but down, and cubes the up walls go where of way our aid to studios active designed our We’ve being nothing. up prototyping. rapid quick thinking, for There’s a lot of looking back and looking forward on the course. People talkPeople on course. the forward looking and of looking back a lot There’s direction. in one facing literally they are and courses future-facing about - projec 16mm find you’ll the studio look around you If 360 degrees. is Ours Theyusedprojects get all units. in display cassette and 35mm cassettes tors, filmas possible. use much as to I try students our point. get some to at to a way as but quaint, because it’s not photography analogue look at We and analogue the choice—between a make the difference—and understand of no idea had of first-years cohort the first ago, years Seven eight digital. or What’s digital with cameras. up grown because they’d photography analogue film, with working to their reactions watching is that about interesting what inform to that thenusing and plates, wet or cameras pinhole making they digital do with material. the was projects interaction successful recent more our of one argue I would a us gives it the digital but realm of antithesis the complete almost It’s garden. install a digital to want we digitally: things example, for explore to platform going technology, of basic, rudimentary the most form It’s station. weather at the same but fingernails, dirt your under getting literally and there out collection, pollution, data around work very future-facing informs time it the very with us practical helps technical elements it And climate. and water, an is which screens, from away stuff, building physically of processes and the course. part of inherent technology that is of the politics about struck me always that’s thing GV: One how but “Great, say, in and chip the historians where a point always there’s the Cornish pump in WWII or cards punch the use look to of back we about 052 JOEL KARAMATH here before I can go home. Wehome. go can I before here have our office the middle in of our studio, build acommunity of practice. Iconstantly have to chase students out of feel amount acertain of ownership over studio the space, helps which to a lot from us, but Iguarantee you’ll more learn from each other.” Students hammer.” Itell students, new “Hopefully over next the few years you’ll learn some tools and asecond-year say, will “No, you adifferent need sort of “Wow, what is that? Canwe dothat Afirst-year next year?” will pick up Cinemaed unit, first-years the arethrough looking thewindow, saying, third-years on projects. their While second-years the are doing Expand the space.” studio Our cross-pollination. permits The first-years often help the built to display it. It’s not just aphotograph, it’s your understanding of photograph but is good, how look you’re displaying it, what look you’ve I can’t doany of other things.” these Isay, “Look at your portfolio: yes, the can dowhat want they to do. Some students say, “I only dophotography, ofJK: Speaking space, sometimes we just have to convince people that they dismantle. It oftenseems take to in place cleanwith materials. spaces new never with an element of risk or danger, never with something old to feels antiseptic about it. You’re allowed to “critically make” something, but GV: Iget about nervous of ideas “critical making”—there’s something that same exact look. the JK: It’s not dissimilar too from daycare those and kids power their tools; it’s [IDA graduate 2017]wielding an engine he’s part; happy. so beaming, spaces that discursive permit work—and skip then to aslide of Tommaso GV: When about Igive talks Supra Systems Studio,the Ioften describe course,the there is more than one nexus. disciplines. nexusthe we between don’t Because have asingle discipline on creativity boundaries. Real within these across goes boundaries; it comes at of education at moment the restricts curiosity—you curious, but can be only and we do?” this say, “Take it down and find out!” It harbourscuriosity. Alot Students often stand the by shelves looking at agadget, asking, “What does of All things the thatJK: Exactly! we’ve re-appropriated are working. still GV: And how has it up ended skip? in the it do?How it does work? ofessential part course. the Youthings; find you whatask, this? is What does to name atrait that students to need enter IDA, it’s skip-diving. It’s an thrown out end college up, inthe will or sooner later, inour studio. If Ihad future is really encapsulated by that fact anything the virtually that gets More than anything else, whole the relationship past, present between and

- SUPRA SYSTEMS 053 (Interview conducted on July 5, 2018, and edited and condensed for clarity). which is really important. It’s vital for students to know that that staff aren’t aren’t staff that that know to students vital for It’s important. really which is it. part of but the course, above that? by mean did you What this a design-led is course. that said GV: You does why work? does it how solving: problem approach we how JK: It’s create to is all? Our tutors job as at actually a problem there is work? it of media-agnosticism The a brief. through explore to students for problems to whether they want out work students as here, through comes the course et cetera. dance, performance, film, installation, through the brief approach thinking, simply from away students steer to been it a challenge GV: Has do something to want “I or Arduino” an with do something to want “I VR”? with get into we year the first In time. over a challenge of less becomes JK: It what yourself, Ask medium. your not idea first, your “de-schooling”—pick think- of the mistake make people of do this? A lot to ways the possible are use to going so I’m Arduino, uses an that project great that like really “I ing, so It’s great. is project that the reason not that’s but Fine, Arduino.” an technology of bits random the idea that from away students get to important them—the all about it’s think them to that encourage We the solution. are the tell We the world. into they them out get how ideas in their head and of a more it’s but a race, might seem like years next three “The first-years, and and pace progression own your is matters only that thing The ramble. find need to Students else.” anyone in a race with not You’re development. their ideas, with because then they go to can they want where and themselves they do. do what to they want why explore in health just not And the years? over surprised the you course has GV: How terms. safety and to they give that amount the graduates, amongst of camaraderie level JK: The projects. in community-based and the college also across but each other, or the projects really high-end the just surprises everyare year—not There gentle, need students Other year. in first spot the you that high flyers they are “What wonder, you year, the third into even coaxing; continual run take their with ideas and this…?” with then the students And doing the made who’ve is—seeing the people education what that’s me, them. For that. of proud most always I’m journey. biggest 054 of lemon. the provided by company, the as Toby Sonneman has pointed out inher history unprecedented levels of wealth for with access to those opportunities the lifeStill paintings are aproduct of system, sociopolitical accrued which this exploitation of conquered lands and peoples. independent markets from Amsterdam to Jakarta, and determined the implement its strategies through force of arms, establishment the of multiple with manybody of characteristics the of an independent state. It was able to India Company transformed from atrading company into atransglobal dated corporation. global its Over two-hundred-year history, Dutch the East monopoly of Dutch the India East Company, an early example of aconsoli- territories to Europe.trade was This facilitated the by state-supported andSri Lanka, Taiwan, and incommodities from trade the extracted these of ownership and wealth derived from Dutch the colonies inIndonesia, bourgeoisie of Dutch the Age, Golden life paintings still were subtle displays seventeenth-centuryn the heyday of Dutch life painting, still manyfulfilled also They complexsymbolic functions. newlyenriched theFor lemons feature displaythe heavilyfor as opportunities of matchless technique. exemplified paintersby such as JanDavidsz de Heem and PieterClaesz, from far away (and, of course, that have they sufficientspare income to that viewer the owner the can afford to purchase and consumefruit imported LEMON TO SEE LEARNING OF MACHINES I 1 Thevisual workperformed images these fruit in by reminds ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT JOHN FASS SUPRA SYSTEMS 055

2 Nevertheless, in the seventeenth century, only those only century, in the seventeenth Nevertheless, 3 of 300BC. of , Jan Davidsz. de Heem, 1652. , Jan Davidsz. Still Life with a Silver Jug and Fruit with the financial means to purchase and consume them would know what what know would them consume and purchase to means the financial with shape, its by Recognising a lemon they like. tasted what and they were symbolic and cultural its for and was it what colour—for and texture, in the thosereal for could seewho lemons only possible significance—was identify them in visual representations. or marketplace recognised, in objects are physical how the social to of reading contrast In visual in the human science object recognition computer and neuroscience depend that processes brain complex function of a be to considered is system

engage an artist to mediate this message). Lemons, like all like fruit in still Lemons, life this message). mediate to artist an engage human of nature the transient and decay of impressions conjure paintings, life or acidity a particular they in communicating place also have — but exerting hidden power of dynamic the interior-exterior as well as bitterness, of a lemon skin outer rough between the seen in contrast influence the its Berger Hochstrasser Julie Arthistorian interior. lustrous glistening its and especially- as extrava lemons of pictures of the importance emphasised has peeled lemon of awhole affluence—“theostentation displaying of ways gant juice”. squeeze of a little for just the ready, at sitting and Lemons were by no means unknown in Northern Europe, having been having Europe, in Northern unknown means no by were Lemons and century, Crusaders in the eleventh East the Middle by from back brought Historia Theophrastus’ by recorded as in antiquity certainly known were Plantarum 056 JOHN FASS + ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT ance that produces eachobject on our eyes.” of within afraction asecondso despite tremendous the variation inappear and from objects classify among tens of thousands of possibilities and we do on of acascade reflexive operations. “weCarlo effortlessly Di observes, detect molecular level of cortical circuitry. molecular level of cortical inother — words operatingconnected to at the each other cellular and distribution of relevant the brain activity and how areas these may be number of states. Neuroscientists, incontrast, have on spatial the focused a Turing machine, i.e. mathematical models that can simulate an infinite models of perception, inorder to produce explanations along lines the of Computer scientists have concentratedon constructing computational and there is considerable debate about how it place takes brain. inthe of sufficiently high fidelity identify to visually poorly is objects understood, characteristic patterns of connectivity” six-layered structure and inputs the and outputs to area eachvisual share operations are evident fact inthe that “All areas cortical visual share a An algorithm learns how to identify lemon to identify how learns algorithm An , Photo: Alistair McClymont. Alistair , Photo: 5

The taskThe of producing a representation 4

The complexity these neural of

- SUPRA SYSTEMS 057

6

7 The outcome is an opaque system, system, opaque an is outcome The

8 This opacity of computational recognition systems means the steps steps the means systems recognition computational of opacity This 9 involved in recognising a lemon are transformed from a set of specific a set of from transformed are a lemon in recognising involved - phenom experiential and circumstance human by enculturated associations, algorithm. matching probabilistic impenetrable an of output the into ena, cultural a set of of the result course, of are systems recognition Image usuallyenacted and performance, accuracy, efficiency, about assumptions environments. in institutional operations defined precisely through or computational, cellular whether representations, of set resulting The erratic of in value, ambiguous error, to prone in origin, mysterious remain authenticity. doubtful and reliability Furthermore, the wide variation between instances of the same object means object means the same of between instances the wide variation Furthermore, a is group particular a to belonging as object an of the “recognition that a specificobject.” of the recognition than a computer for problem harder resistant to analysis, impervious to scrutiny. Often the data scientists behind scientists data the Often impervious scrutiny. to analysis, to resistant commit to have and certain results, they obtain idea no why have this work - a deeper gain understand to them in order reverse-engineering to resources ing. A computer vision system recognises a lemon in a very different way, way, a very in recognises a lemon different system vision A computer visual human of the neural ‘algorithm’ for in the search rooted is it although ‘training’ requires object recognition Computational object recognition. identify a lemon to correctly of a computer ability The data. relevant using class the in data accuracy examples and of quality, the number, depends on visual system the human addition, been In has exposed the system to. ‘lemon’ no have the (we visual field to interruptions veryis processing good at front inchair on a resting is that racket tennis a recognising say, difficulty in, would a computer the scenario above In a river). looks onto that a window of assign in space, arranged they identifyneed every are to how object, perceive van Luc As a scene. as recognise the whole and each one, to label the correct onthe depending “Theobject will out, same look different Gool points viewpoint, the or illumination, the objects in other occlusions by caused front.” One lemon does not look exactly like another, and therefore significant significant therefore and look exactly another, does like not lemon One between different distinguish to be devoted must resources computational much a result, As object class. an as lemons of views, examples types, or objects via tagging or of images of pre-categorisation to given is attention individual of amounts large requires methods. This labelling taxonomic other of categorisation logic a dominant significantly, more perhaps but, images work. to of based developed the millions on detailed are models more and more As so algorithms, learning object recognition for data used training as images of - com professor associate Torralba, Antonio increases. complexity system very well, works learning “Deep states, MIT at engineering science and puter - rep the internal is works—what it why understand to very hard it’s but building.” is the network that resentation 058 JOHN FASS + ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (2012) Lemon:A oby Sonneman 1

cortex’, Cerebral Cortex, 1(1), pp.1-47. Cortex, 1(1), cortex’, Cerebral processing intheprimatecerebral Essen (1991)‘Distributedhierarchical tion?’, Neuron, 73(3), pp.415-434. Brain SolveVisualObjectRecogni Nicole CRust(2012)‘HowDoesthe Press. Pp200. Age, NewHaven, CT: Yale University Life and Trade intheDutchGolden Books. Global History, London:Reaktion jects (Accessed: 19thAugust 2018). computers-can-learn-to-recognise-ob weforum.org/agenda/2015/05/how- objects, Available at: https://www. computers canlearnto recognise pp. 67-76. plantarum’, Classical Philology, 7(1), uscripts of Theophrastus’ Historia ibid. Quoted inLarry ibid. Quoted inIC Daniel J.Fellem James J.DiCarlo,Da Benedict Einarson(1976)‘Thema JulieBergerHochstr T cessed: 19thAugust 2018). es/2009/06/090601090029.htm (Ac www.sciencedaily.com/releas- Objects, Available at: https:// ing Computers To Recognize T Results(2009) Teach Hardesty(2015) How an, David C.Van vid EZoccolan, asser, (2007) Still - n - - - - 059 DAVID BENQUÉ DAVID The American religion professor Alan Jay Jay Alan professor religion American The 1 in areas such as farming, nautical navigation, navigation, nautical farming, as such in areas 2 “ COSMIC SPREADSHEETS - contempo for prototype as a revisit the almanac to like would I finance. and roles the multiple understand a guide to as use it rary analytics—to data the rationalities and the cosmos, to their connection today, data by played they support. that in their tangible histories and systems broader reveal artefacts, almanacs As they are predictions, into collected data transforming design By details. today. work at systems algorithmic of the kinds to rudimentarypredecessors in prediction the history of of signs visible for looking I am their pages, In systems. data big today’s led to that the trajectories of some retrace to order to myself almanac also observation: an am I making on only relying not I am of publication and production onthe experience, first-hand reflect, with in technical “works” prediction how reveal to not is aim My predictions. occupied has the almanac that space the cultural unpack to rather but terms, this today. looks space like what question to and Levinovitz questions the authority of economics and argues that the disci- that argues and economics of the authority questions Levinovitz particularly resonant are concerns His astrology. of a modern is version pline and find to opportunities with therefore and data, with era saturated in an and data how is discuss here to I want between them. What ratios interpret been legitimised usedpublication—the in a specific and of have type ratios at since ahead published practical the year guides to are Almanacs almanac. century the seventeenth least govern the geometrythe stars.” of govern that the ratios like think to inratios, simply, is, be rational To 060 DAVID BENQUÉ teaches aclass at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program that has roots extending far back into prehistory, stars as vectors for predictions. This mode of cosmic geometrical prediction interpretswhich angles the planets the and and ratios Earth, the the between Almanacs include also other forms of cosmicimaginaries such as astrology, second “big-data revolutions”. applied far beyond farming, and have since of as part first the been and starsthe for guidance, inastronomy statistical the used methods were on livelihoods depended weather. the whose Aside from looking directly to Farmer’s Almanac influence overthe weather SinceEarth. on its first edition the Old in1792, Spots on of surface the Sun, the for example, were thought to have adirect machine: Once you get operating the instructions, you can tell future.” the They presentedthe cosmos as orderly and“The rational: universe as astrological charts for Five the Eyes divination, and computation. American artist Ingrid Burrington creates number of and art projects design have explored interplay the data, between andscience divination from agraphic In perspective. design recent years a As apop culture almanac the an artefact, is opportunity also to consider data tics totics its own processes and daemons. TheGolem (2017)is acomputer that applies ancient kabbalistic hermeneu- increasingly claims to objectively and accurately predict future. the apparent data divide and between science divination today, former the when separation their when time was far from clean-cut. complicate They the incompatible mightWhile these seem today, almanacs are documents from a disseminatingalso folk knowledge of stars the as sources for divination. in adapting to consumer capitalist society.” appeared with us. More is which still individualistic than before, it succeeded gaining inprecision and sophistication. In west the “a urban new astrology scientific hasastrology integratedmethods, tools new and technologies, Moore’sOld Almanac “paradigmthe shifts” of data.big forIt survives, example,pagesthe in the of calendars, navigation maps, weather forecasts, and other predictive widgets. information age, early analogue versions of smartphones with “apps” such as and politics writergy Adrienne precursors them calls Lafrance to the Almanacs have played amajor role long inthe of history statistics. Technolo- science—including for methods data and collection computation between astronomy the links highlight They earlyand forms dataof Almanacs show different modes of relatingthe cosmos events to Earth. on past andmillennia future—to compute astrological readings and charts. packages astronomical use ephemeris data—the positions of planets for presented of an ideal order and regularity to farmers , published since 1697.Far from outdone being by 9 spy agencies. 11 Computational Parrish Allison poet 6 Today purpose-built software 5 yet it continues to thrive despite 10 Artist collective RYBN’s Artist 7 —while —while 8

4

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SUPRA SYSTEMS 061

Designer 17 12 these critical 14

18 - in astrono Breakthroughs 16 Specifically, they illustrate how how they illustrate Specifically, 15 trades on the stock market according to to according market the stock trades on While stories of divination and magic have long been long have magic and divination of stories While 13 in records and tables, the stuff of objective observations rather than than observations rather objective of the stuff tables, and in records 19 approaches in art and design have a different objective. They use divination They divination use objective. a different design have in art and approaches and progress technological of narratives dominant despite that a reminder as They goal. elusive an remains the future predicting powers, computational of systems technological opaque examine to language a cultural develop sometimes and long, over constructed which were control, and prediction histories. murky, ORDER MONISM AND COSMIC Matthew and Barnes Trevor geographers what into glimpses offer Almanacs burden”. historical call data’s “big Wilson Shing Tat Chung’s Superstitious Fund Chung’s Tat Shing and “lucky logic of internal an as well as numerology” cycles and “lunar values.” unlucky Elsewhere, astronomy and its data practices were used legitimise specula to were practices - data its and Elsewhere, astronomy and astronomy doing the Britain people In nineteenth-century finance. tive men. cases, upper-class the in some same were, business doing the people also but comet the famous to name his gave only not Halley Edmond Francis like Figures insurance. use in life for mortality table the first authored - astrono the “business dubbed Babbage, Charles and Herschel, John Baily, of techniques used scientific Ashworth, William historian British by mers” the finance give to book-keeping, double-entry as such management, data ofthe view “accountant’s their anchored They rigour. scientific of veneer world” Quetelet used Newtonian gravity and Gaussian error curves—later known as as curves—later known error Gaussian and gravity usedQuetelet Newtonian As populations. human of the behaviours predict distributions—to “normal” still but conclusions” to “jumping blatant this involved shows, Hacking Ian of scheme conceptual “the twentieth-century on influence a profound had still which we subscribe”. to possibilities truths and interrogates forms of divination in digitally-mediated environments, “from “from environments, in digitally-mediated divination of forms interrogates the contemporary to randomness computer-generated to lots of the casting science.” data astrology to to entrails reading from Tarot; of revival speculation, which was seen which was speculation, immoral. as leveraged to promote the supernatural powers of computers, of powers the supernatural promote to leveraged my and physics in the eighteenth-century, such as the first predicted return return predicted the first as such in the eighteenth-century, physics and my the to order underlying an of the notion in 1759, reinforced comet Halley’s of the social transposed this predict idea to “Social physics” world. natural used methods from famously Quetelet Adolphe Belgian astronomer world. statistical 1830 his In crime. and suicide, marriage, predict to astronomy laws of the recognition “facilitate to aimed man” “average an of construct society.” of in the domain celestial thosemechanics to of analogous the current fixation with data as a source of predictions is in part founded on founded is in part predictions of as a source data with fixation the current the to applies that principles set of one only is there idea that “the monism, social and worlds”. both natural of explanation 062 DAVID BENQUÉ [Farmer’s] Almanac has always ahappy been grab bagof marginalia.” Adrienne LaFrance. As Jeff MacGregor states, the “Like Internet the itself, almanacsside to between and parallel the information the age suggested by draws its directly from legitimacy cosmos. the There is, however, another of numbers insociety, on afocus counting—and later computing—which examplesThese showalmanacthe part as the of foundations the of authority Society and its on focus Society natural history. from of Board the Longitude, of as part abigger push against Royal the Astronomical took over Society publication the of Nautical the Almanac sitethe of apower grab by business the astronomers. Their established newly sions, standards, population statistics, and on. so In Britain, almanac the was and language. visual Almanacs provided also range awide of unit conver of planets were published alongside interests on loans, using similar layouts display almanac inthe publications of time. the Tables showing positions the We monism can see and accountant’s the of world view the quite literally on Bureau desLongitudes des longitudes’. a pleasant degree of humour.” Another cover, from “new, 1847,advertises seriously. A2017issue Old of The Farmer’s Almanac Unlike grand the promises of big data, almanacs don’t themselves take too (1875)‘Annuaire pourl’an 1875publiéparleBureau 20

bills itself as “useful with

21

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’s lottery ’s These almanacs mix the scientific, the mix the Thesescientific, almanacs , for example, has more in common with a with in common more has example, , for 22 calendar, Thomas, R. B. (1976) The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Almanac, The Old Farmer’s Thomas, R. B. (1976) calendar, calendar, which includes astrological symbols, biblical biblical symbols, astrological which includes calendar, illustrate this with a table of predictions of Euro Millions Millions Euro of predictions of a table this with illustrate Boston, Jenkins, Palmer & Co. Jenkins, Palmer Boston, Old Farmer’s Almanac Old Farmer’s useful, and entertaining matter.” entertaining useful, and Astro-indicators the type of precisely this sign. is While astrological each for lottery numbers many astronomers—and which the business against speculation “immoral” presents the almanac themselves, differentiate to sought since—have others as prediction modes of illegitimate and the boundary between legitimate blurry porous. and Almanacs were, at least in the nineteenth century, at the cutting edge of of edge the cutting at century, in thenineteenth least at were, Almanacs very theythe alsogenre, included as a However, rationality. scientific western science trying was to gambling—which astrology and as themes—such ’sMoore Old The Almanac replace. tabloid newspaper than with a scientific bulletin. Old a scientific with Moore than newspaper tabloid mundane, and the miscellaneous; alongside the tables mentioned above are are above mentioned the tables alongside the miscellaneous; and mundane, a visual into This translates tips. and recipes proverbs, rumours, remedies, in the Old example seen for prediction, and vernacular between tradition Almanac Farmer’s baseball. tides, and dates, 064 DAVID BENQUÉ predictive rationality. daily. It is made up of multiple widgets, each implementing own their The Monistic Almanac of planets with events such on as fluctuations earth, the of financial markets. systemsbelief and to build computational diagrams that movements the link notebook. monism Itake as alicense to experiment with computational visualisation tools such as D3,and publishing formats like Jupyter the tools of data science—including programming Python the language, data relays tips and jokes from continuous feeds such as #astrologymemes. Terminal. Instead of ayearly calendar for life advice, networked the almanac almanac includes financial charts and live like a news-feeds Bloomberg Tweet -KateGray (2016) of worldview the amplified has been point the to of saturation” “actuarial If it today, was designed what would an almanac like? look The accountant’s AN ALMANACFOR THE PETABYTE AGE the longthe relationship physics between and Wall Street. with big data, and monism is for taken granted, as illustrated for example by through and digital making. critical onbear contemporary of modes algorithmic prediction. Iam doing this back together—to predictive bring peculiar and this artefact its to history Revisiting almanac the today is an attempt to bind scattered these sections single publication but distributed across range awide of media. digital examples and potentially many others, almanac the is not thriving, as a mundane and intimate writing, emails, tweets, and SMSes, searches. In these oracle for on year apredictive the based ahead trained keyboard on most the touch,a personalised and “a pleasant degree of humour,” it provides also an city management. might “data the be dashboards” inanything used from business analytics to instruments to navigate an world, uncertain contemporary their equivalent are dedicated to storing data, and computing predictions. If almanacs were cultural spacehowever, is alive and well. Vast networks and infrastructures like look quaintthey relics current inthe landscape. media almanac The as a Farmer’s Almanac Old Moore’s, Old Almanac 25 Instead of tables for interests the on loans, today’s is an automated online publication that is updated 27 Building my own almanac with the and others are published, being still 24 While The Old 26 With With 23

SUPRA SYSTEMS 065 cover. The Monistic Almanac 066 DAVID BENQUÉ indicator of apossible crisis. new Daily planet positions are compared vector, to base this using distance as an investment first the funds, triggering signs panicof among investors. reference point of August BNP 9,2007,when Paribas froze three of its CPI on is an 2008financial the based astrology crisis. thebased It on is CRISIS PROXIMITY INDEX until year the 17191. derivethen future prices from planet positions, provided by ephemeris the DE431 Ephemeris from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Thecan model using regression on historical market data and planet the positions inthe planets of System. Solar the The relationshipthetwo between is “learned” Here price the of commodity futures is predicted using positions the of the CHARTSCOSMIC COMMODITY SUPRA SYSTEMS 067 068 DAVID BENQUÉ I translated the set of criteria forvariouscriteria events foundtranslated of set the in I task or event,a particular such as planning a ameeting, haircut, or a wedding. Thistype of is astrology forward-looking: it is about finding best the date for ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY and location. into outputs which code, Python acalendar for agiven task or question 28

Astrology for Dummies for Astrology

SUPRA SYSTEMS 069 ,

30

29

35 Such Such 31 using the almanac as a as the almanac using involves learning to use to learning involves 33 , She argues that forecasts from both from forecasts that argues She 34 By bringing the stars down to earth, to both down the stars bringing By 36 I wanted to push monism to its absurd extreme, in a extreme, absurd its to monism push to I wanted 32 James may dismiss data science and astrology in equal measure, astrology in equal measure, science and data dismiss may James 37 connections reveal a powerful imaginary of data as a universal substrate in substrate a universal as a powerful imaginary reveal data of connections - contem practice,using through They emerge be can read. which the future prediction. the history of of the backdrop porary against tools science data that the promise towards scepticism of out I started this project its and physics” see everything. to “social predict could astounded I was technology after cutting-edge as being repackaged foundations dubious centuries. two nearly Almanac Monistic time I spend immersed The as in making However, stage. science between data relations of diagram intricate a more I begin perceive to on working through changed has initial position fact, my In divination. and this project. that to imply science, data useto dismiss to astrology was impulse first My this very in her argues well James Robin equally pseudo-rational. they are the LA of critique Timesupdate, Adorno’s to Earth Down Stars of The era. data the big for astrology column, through charts and tables. Instead of forecasts, they produce conservative conservative they produce forecasts, of Instead tables. and charts through conventional most society its and ever reproduc[ing] “only prescriptions, practices.” and values, norms, While my enquiry into prediction is practice-based, “not knowing all the knowing practice-based, is “not prediction enquiry into my While the periphery.” from interventions persuasive actually spark circuitry may I encountered, for example, a Python package called Pandas; an essential part essential an calleda Python package Pandas; example, for I encountered, files,the flat of the transformation enables that science “stack” the data of mathematical as data vectorised arrays, into data, containing spreadsheets the Pandas, With operate. can algorithms which predictive on shapes While full circle. comes above mentioned the view world” of “accountants’ to astronomy from practices transposed data astronomers the business hedge in a data handle to tool as a originated Pandas business, and finance astronomy. used widely in the sciences, including now is fund and

TO DOWN EARTH Almanac Monistic The programming Designing and the tools of data science. This is not, however, with the aim of acquiring of acquiring aim the with however, not, is This science. data of the tools with concerned of making a are mode these efforts Instead, technicalfluency. matter.” calls “conceptual Sayers Jentery scholar digital humanities what similar vein as Tyler Viglen’s Spurious Correlations Viglen’s Tyler as vein similar data science and astrology insist that society, like a planet, must be on a be on must a planet, like society, that astrology insist science and data the stars” for a call with “shoot to concludes James orbit. stable and regular of viewthe future. a conservative fit to them down bringing of instead take Ramey to suggests, Joshua be, as this might achieving of way One human of dimension universal even a “generic, as seriously divination c u l t u r e”. astrology and data science aestheticise “unfashionable superstitions” science aestheticise data “unfashionable astrology and 070 DAVID BENQUÉ knowledge.what This is actually the“big data fundamentalists” This project is not about romanticisingoccult, the or scientificchallenging paying attention to politics the of mediation. their culture of imaginaries, and cultivating multiple relationships to chance, while generosity, and genuine openness to transformation.” an expansivecalls politics of divination, “marked by curiosity, presumptive futures. “Shooting for stars”, the would case, inthis to aim be for what Ramey force of nature rather than aforeclosing of unprofitable and suboptimal our innate to need cope with chance. It masks politics neoliberal as aneutral When market the is presented like an objective divinatory it device, caters to ships to chance, however are always mediated Visit The MonisticAlmanacathttps://almanac.computer aloud” future. argues Ramey that humans have to had need “read the chance but she leaves unanswered question the of how with an to deal unknown The LordThe theRings, of or proclaimthe “end theory.”of intelligence namethey military company Palantir in ball after acrystal knowledge without credential”; Stengers “story-tellers, the calls quacks, popular customs and creeds, plicity of voices we glimpse inalmanacs, including Isabelle who those Drawing attention to may this first the be step towards restoringthe multi- The “accountants’ theview of world” has a monopoly overthe cosmic. far more authority to former the is ascribed than latter, the of course. or by looking directly at angles planets. the between In western the world, chance—whether by transposing statistical techniques and of ideals regularity, astrology, meanwhile, are of modes both using cosmos the to relate to I-Ching divinatory system seventeenth inthe century. comes, from Wilhelm inpart, Gottfried Leibniz’s fascination with the knowledge about future. the system The heart of computingbinary the at very are rooted of ideal auniversal inthe force, or as key logic to the code as areminder thatcan serve two the have separate. never really been Both sons or computation analogies between and divination. Instead, works these Almanac With inmind, this potential the for critique through projects like questioning ones which are allowed to remake world the image. in their keeping eye on aclose credentials the assigned to predictions, and about 38 —to relate to it insome way—since ancestral These times. relation- or other previously-mentioned examples may not lieincompari- 41 towards countering adata-centric mono - , never direct or apolitical.

39 40 43

Data and science Instead, it is about 42 The Monistic The Monistic do when dowhen SUPRA SYSTEMS 071 - - - - Big Data & Science, Star Charts for The Superstitious The Taming of Taming The - The Golem, [Online]. Avail , G., Porter, T., Swijtink, Z., T., , G., Porter, T. (2012) T. . A. (1995) ‘Venerating the (1995) ‘Venerating . A. on, I. (2014) on, I. (2014) T. J. and Wilson, M. W. (2014) M. W. J. and Wilson, T. , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–14 [Online]. 1, , vol. The Empire of Chance: How able at http://git.rybn.org/rybn/golem able at http://git.rybn.org/rybn/golem 2018). 10 August (Accessed: P Chung, S. F Burringt R H Stahl, W Barnes, Gigerenzer Chance, Cambridge University Press. p.106 [Online]. Available at http:// Five Eyes [Online]. Available lifewinning.com/projects/star-charts- August 2018). 3 five-eyes/ (Accessed Oracles and Fortune-Telling’, [Online]. Oracles at http://eroft.decontextualize. Available com. signals intelligence agencies of Aus signals intelligence United New Zealand, the Canada, tralia, the United States. Kingdom, and course on technology’, , vol. Technology, & Human Values 20, no. 2, pp. 234–258 [Online]. DOI:10.1177/016224399502000205. black box: Magic in media dis black box: ‘Big Data, social physics, and spatial The early years’, analysis: Society DOI:10.1177/2053951714535365. L. L., Beatty, J. and Kruger, Daston, (1990) Every Changed Science and Probability day Life, Cambridge University Press. p. 40 , [Online]. Available at , [Online]. Available Project Fund http://shingtatchung.com/the-supersti tious-fund-project/. ibid

10 11 YBN (2017) 12 Rituals, (2017)‘Electronic arrish, A. 13 9 betweentheive Eyesisanalliance 16 17 18 (1990) acking, I. 14 15 - - - - -

- - Astrolo Aeon [Online]. When or of The Old or of . (2004) The Master Algo The Atlantic Predictive analytics: . (2015) ory of statistics and predic [Online]. Available at https://aeon.co/ [Online]. Available essays/how-economists-rodemaths- Tim Clark, executive edit Willis, R. G. and Curry, P of the hist LaF t A Le Siegel, E. (2016) See for example: Domingos, P ibid. p.51 Grier how-the-old-farmers-almanac-pre the power to predict who will click, buy, the power to John New Jersey, lie, or die, Hoboken, Wiley & Sons. cessed 9 August 2018). 9 August cessed mists rode maths to become our era’s our era’s become maths to mists rode S. (ed), Hasselby, astrologers’, rithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Remake OurLearning Machine Will , Basic Books. World tion in the western world. Available at https://www.theatlantic. Available com/technology/archive/2015/11/ and the Division of Labor’, in Farmer’s Almanac, interviewed in The Almanac, interviewed in Farmer’s in 1988. Cited in LaFrance New Yorker (2015). N.J. computers were human, Princeton, University Press, Princeton Woodstock, p. 9—88. Farmer’s Almanac Previewed the Almanac Previewed Farmer’s Information Age’, used for millennia in cultures across across used for millennia in cultures the world. In this article I focus on publica almanacs as mass-produced as parttions in the US and Europe viewed-the-information-age/415836/ 9 August2018). (Accessed gy, science and culture, Berg Publishers. p.17

4 5

3 The Old ‘How (2015) A. rance, (Ac o-become-our-era-s-astrologers 2 been have lmanacs ortheirequivalent 1 econo ‘How J.(2016) A. vinovitz,

8 6 7 , D.(2007)‘Part I:Astronomy

072 DAVID BENQUÉ 28 o, M.(2011)‘CriticalMaking: 27 ologymemes hashtagoninsta 26 25 24 dams, V., Murphy,M.andClarke,A. 23 22 21 20 W.shworth, J.(1994)‘The calculating 19

ibid. the Unpredictable Wall Street:aBrief History ofPredicting org/details/farmersalmanacca00thom. Co. [Online].Available athttps://archive. Almanack Journal sub.2009.18. 28, pp.246–265[Online].DOI:10.1057/ life, affect,temporality’, E. (2009)‘Anticipation: Technoscience, rise-on-the-internet.html. com/1997/08/22/opinion/moon Available athttps://www.nytimes. Internet’, 10.1017/S0007087400032428. 27, no.04,pp.409–441[Online].DOI: Journal fortheHistory ofScience business ofastronomy’, eye: Baily,Herschel,Babbageandthe 10.1080/01972243.2011.583819. no. 4,pp.252–260[Online].DOI: The InformationSociety, in Technology andSocialLife’, Conceptual andMaterialStudies History oftheUrbanDashboard’, Orion, R.(2007) Ratt #astr Mattern, S.(2015)‘MissionContr Weather A Thomas, R.B.(1847) Macgregor A [Online] Accessed28thAugust 2018 explore/ tags/astrologymemes/’ gram. https://www.instagram.com/ 2nd Ed,JohnWiley&Sons. Publications. [Online]. DOI: 10.22269/150309. all, J.(2013) The NewYork Times [Online]. , Boston, Jenkins,Palmer & , J.(1997)‘MoonriseOn The Astrology forDummies, , Hawthorn, Scribe , Hawthorn, Scribe The Physics of The Physicsof The Farmer’s Subjectivity vol. 27, The British The British - , vol. ol: A ol: A

Places Places , no. , no. - 37 36 35 34 33 32 opf, D.(2017)‘Meettheman behind 31 30 29 ay, J.(2016)‘“Let usCalculate!”: 40 39 van HeimlichquotedinRamey,(2016), 38

ibid. ibid. August 2018). com/spurious-correlations (Accessed 3 [Online]. Available athttp://tylervigen. ence/(Accessed 10August 2018). the-most-important-tool-in-datasci https://qz.com/1126615/the-story-of- science’, tool indata the mostimportant tational-imagination/. let-us-calculate-leibniz-llull-and-compu publicdomainreview.org/2016/11/10/ Review [Online].Available athttps:// al Imagination’, ThePublicDomain Leibniz, Llull,andtheComputation p.6 Press. new science,NewYork, The Penguin good ideasspread-thelessonsfrom a International. p.49 theory of contingency,Reinventingcritical tion: neoliberal endgameandthereligion ic/. https://thenewinquiry.com/cloudy-log New Inquiry[Online].34Available at Ramey, J.A James, R.(2015)‘CloudyLogic Vigen, T Pentland, A K Ibid. loc.264 Sayers, J.(ed.)(2017) Gr Ramey, (2016),p.157. E University ofMinnesotaPress. in thedigitalhumanities, and drawing boundaries:experiments , London, Rowman & Littlefield , London,Rowman&Littlefield . (2015) . [Online]. Available Quartz at . (2014) . (2016) Spurious Correlations Social physics : how Socialphysics:how Politics ofdivina Making things Making things Minneapolis, Minneapolis, ’, The The - - -

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International The end of theory: - Common Knowl , Backchannel - Wired, , Backchannel A Cr Stengers, I. (2011) ‘Comparison as a (2011) ‘Comparison as Stengers, I. Matter of Concern’, Matter of Concern’, [Online]. 17, no.1, pp. 48–63 edge, vol. DOI: 10.1215/0961754X-2010-035. Big Data: Politic L. (2014) ‘Critiquing Ethics, Epistemology’, 8, , vol. Journal of Communication at Available pp. 1663–1672 [Online]. http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/ view/2167/1164. 23 June. Available at: http://www.wired. 23 June. Available 2 (Accessed: com/2008/06/pb-theory/ December 2015). the data deluge makes the scientificthe data deluge makes method obsolete

43 nderson, C.(2008) 42 M. K.andGray, awford, K.,Miltner, 41

074 SUPRAPAUL BAILEY SYSTEMS 075 INTERLUDE 076 077 PAUL BAILEY PAUL INFORMATION, INFORMATION, When contemplating the destabilised nature of reading/watching, subject/ reading/watching, of nature the destabilised contemplating When Marshal extend I recall and further... and surface/system object, place/space, (1967) dictum: McLuhan’s and startling are results the information against is brushed information When forms. many takes in, fill involvement, for quest perennial The effective. 2018 078 when moment that 079 up rubs against 080 information when moment

081 up rubs information when 082 that information

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ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT ALISTAIR A WHAT IF IF WHAT COULD WE AT LOOK SUN THE WITH VISION X-RAY first time I recreated a natural phenomenon as an artwork. an as phenomenon natural a recreated I time first learning discovery, of journey a is work My me. around the world of workings in the am interested I increasingly, phenomena: recreating often and about processes. natural/scientific I do and between what relationship the and the sublime with concerned Iam artist, s aconceptual processes. generative on focused has work my of much years, Over ten the last to installations from varyhugely work my drawings; of andmediaoutputs The about something understand to desire the same—a is the impetus however, appropriate in the most understanding that communicate to and a process forces ofthe embodiment condensed should be a work final The medium. at play. of Logic the and Absence Limitations of The version a exhibited 2008 I first In and cloud- of a combination by produced , a tornado Certainty Absolute of was the to evolve, continues which work, This machines. wind-generating 092 ALISTAIRARTICLE MCCLYMONT TITLE Figure 1:AlistairMcClymont, 2011. Photographer: AlistairMcClymont. of AbsoluteCertainty The LimitationsofLogicandtheAbsence , CA2M,Madrid,

SUPRA SYSTEMS 093 094 ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT research paper, Vibrational frequencies of freely falling charged water drops . One of scientists the involved, Clive Saunders, kindly sent me acopy of the project was sparked by hearing about an experiment that levitated water. tion, consistinga drop of of water free in fall in a vertical wind tunnel. This Raindrop The artwork studio, more while recently Ihave to collaborate begun with scientists. Sometimes Iwork completely alone, experimenting and researching inmy communicate nature the of phenomena. the knowledge about, system: the artwork the should physically and embody processes as to aconduit need act for knowledge contained in,as well as account more comprehensible. The physical structure the of work and its explanation inscientific terms, but Ilook for away scientifictheof making simple. The phenomenological nature the of work may have acomplex In my own practice, it is apriority that structure the of work the is clear and to transformconsciousness.” intoofshould perception we the try object that the that an elementary prerequisite for understanding nature the of perception is Aesthetics and theorist art Zhuofei Wang writes: “Merleau-Ponty emphasises According to phenomenological the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty: tion about underlying the processes with no addition, distraction, or illusion. artwork should demonstrate phenomenon the and communicate informa - to create antornado artificial (Figure 2). It vitallyis important thatto me the air. of machine the aspect Every is reduced to absolute the minimum needed conditions to sustain necessary avortex, namely low pressure and spinning By placing ahumidifierscaffoldingbetween a three of fans, I established the gallery, of artwork the purpose the has more to dowith awe, beauty and the different intentions and contextualpositioning. ina Placed museum or continuation of experiment original the from 1970s,but the with quite The artwork existssomewhere between science,and art conceived as a experiment; original the not having much to go on, it took me two years. Manchester University, Iembarked on amission to create version anew of After studyingpaper a diagramthe in theseeing andmachineperson in at or indeed the whole spectacle, perceived. itself which evinces it, the quality asrich is and mysterious asthe object, a simple means of delimiting sensations, if we consider it in the experience element of consciousness, but aproperty of the object. Insteadof providing are not sensations, they are the sensed(sensibles), and quality not is an not enough to have seen ared or to have heard an A?But red and green (sentir) to is have qualities. To know what experience sense then, is, it is To to see is have colours or lights, to hear to is have sounds, to sense (Figure 2) outcome the was of first the such collabora- 1 3

2 SUPRA SYSTEMS 095 , Raindrop The Art London, 2012. House Foundation, Alistair McClymont. Photographer: Figure 2: Alistair McClymont, 096 ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT videos, lectures—arevideos, reflections both of nature. The format science of physical manifestations of knowledge inscience—research papers, books, andArt are science two things occupy which me. The in objects theandart conversation he had with an artist: in1981,RichardIn with BBC the an Feynman interview of a speaks process: science. Dawkins argues opposite the of and beauty the talks scientific inthe prismaticthe colours, inferring an incompatibility and arts the between Isaac Newton of rainbow the had destroyed by poetry reducing the all it to title, from taken Lamia Rainbow Richard the Unweaving Dawkins his book begins oftheories two the fields. acompatibilityparadigms. Isee that is not always represented intraditional artworkscience, this was my first direct effort tie to together the two ofpart installation. the Though my has longpractice held an interest in descriptions of work, the and sometimes paper original the is presented as experiment and its authors. CPR Saunders and BSWong are cited in sublime. At same the time, installation the retains with original the alink understand how it subtracts.” excitement, the mystery and the awe of aflower. It only adds. I don’t of interesting questions which the science knowledge only adds to the aesthetic also exist sense in the lower forms? Why it is aesthetic? All kinds means that insects can see the colour. It adds aquestion: does this flowerevolved in order to attract insects to pollinate is it interesting; it the inner structure, also the processes. The fact that the colours in the dimension, at one centimetre; there’s also beauty at smaller dimensions, inside, which also have abeauty. Imean it’s not just beauty at this than he sees. Icould imagine the cells in there, the complicated actions beauty of aflower. At thesame time,see I much more about the flower may not be quite asrefined aesthetically as is ...I he can appreciate the he sees available is to other people and to me too, Ibelieve. Although I dull thing,” and Ithink that he’s kind of nutty. First of all, the beauty that beautiful this but is you asascientist take this all apart and it becomes a beautiful it is,” and agree. I’ll Then sayshe “I as an artist cansee how don’t agree well. with very He’ll hold up aflower andsay “look how “I have who’s afriend an artist and has sometimes taken which aview I passion to rank with the finest that music and poetry can deliver.” experiences of which the human psyche capable. is It adeep is aesthetic “The feeling of awed wonder thatscience cangive is us one of the highest by John Keats. Dawkins suggests that Keats believed 5 by explaining the 4 SUPRA SYSTEMS 097 , 2017 What if we could look at the sun with x-ray vision (contact What if we could look at the sun with x-ray x-ray plates on the Vulcan Target Area West vacuum chamber, 36 separate shots) 36 separate chamber, Area West vacuum Target plates on the Vulcan x-ray Figure 3: Alistair McClymont, prioritises clarity, precision, and practicality, but it can also be said to come also can come be to it said but practicality, and precision, clarity, prioritises truth. for a yearning and instinct art—a creative to place a similar from the on plates x-ray (contact vision x-ray with sun the at look could we if What a collaborative is shots) 36 separate chamber, vacuum West Area Target Vulcan the Central in Oxfordshire, Laser at Facility scientists with created artwork an as well as artist an as be their experiment to part of invited I was England. to demonstrate was of experiment this aim The participant. scientific active using material of of technologylaserto layers see thethrough effectiveness I similarity the strong investigate to goal was My beams. neutron and x-rays both ultimately that is hypothesis My artists. see and between scientists truth. both in that see truth and beauty for search important were that actions of I performed a number During the experiment and x-rays by be objects to blasted test I created the experimentalprocess. to able was that equipment diagnostic own I also my the team. set up by imaged of any detail than greater the laser in much by formed the plasma image to crucial the to proved that which detected data equipment, the scientists’ paper, research on the author an as my inclusion in resulted This experiment. the included The paper Fusion. Controlled and Physics in Plasma published the from the plasma of a photograph object and test my of images x-ray above. mentioned equipment - digital radiography using the experiment during image another I created by created plate is a image central 3). The (Figure x-rays to sensitive plates 098 ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT .R.Saunders, B.S.Wong (1974) 3 2 1 included myself. This image was credited all theto of authors the of researchpaper, which plasma was as hot as sun, the with pressures similar to centre the of earth. the of other radiation by driven alaser plasma centre inthe of chamber. the This x-raythe light. The x-raysthemselves were created,alongside huge amounts equipment,experimental nuts, bolts and chamber the itself casts an image in tre-by-three-metre image of vacuum the chamber bathed inx-rays. The took shot anew (firedthelaser and created plasma). The result isa two-me- plates onto outside the of chamber the inadifferent they time every place scientiststhe to calibrate experiment. the Using same the Iattached method, and art the inseparable. became science while ascientistI became and scientists the artists inquite became aliteral way, They are an attempt to conceptually unitethe endeavours of science.andart research paper (Figure 4),and test the object—become asingle artwork.

Routledge. nomenology ofPerception, London: August 2018). 19th php?articleID=831 (Accessed: ics.org/newvolume/pages/article. Available at: https://contempaesthet- er Project”. Contemporary Aesthetics. Study ofOlafurEliasson’s “TheWeath- sign andExperiencewithanExemplary ‘Vibrational frequencies offreelyfalling Zhuofei W Maurice Merleau-P C.P ang (2018) Atmospheric De 6 These artefacts—the x-ray These artefacts—the photograph (Figurethe 3), onty (1945) Phe - - 6 orizon. 1981. BBC 1. 23November. 5 4

and Controlled Fusion 58(1). Plasma Accelerato’, Plasma Physics ment forIndustrialApplicationsof X-Ray andNeutron Source Develop- the Rainbow, London:Penguin. ics, 36(4), pp.707-711. Atmospheric and Terrestrial Phys charged waterdrops’, Journal of C MBrenner H Richard Dawki , etal(2015)‘Laser-Driven ns (1998) Unweaving - SUPRA SYSTEMS 099 , 2017 What if we could look at the sun with x-ray vision (contact What if we could look at the sun with x-ray Photographer: Alistair McClymont. Photographer: x-ray plates on the Vulcan Target Area West vacuum chamber, 36 separate shots) 36 separate chamber, Area West vacuum Target plates on the Vulcan x-ray Figure 4: Alistair McClymont, 100 or perhaps caused state-wide panic over incoming missiles. (fictional) A rogue’s galleryofloopedanimationprogress indicators horizontal progress bar. animation, looped the or more the determinate percent-done, often alinear, way to doso. It may indeterminate the take circular and pulsating form of to provideit is necessary feedback, and progress the indicator is acommon through of design the interfaces. user No computation instantaneous: is truly The action is indigital feelingillusion, an of immediacy carefully managed e tasks that we computers use to achieve often appear slickly of pixels and you’ve moved money around crashed globe, the a stock market, physical the world.decoupled offrictions from the Pokeformationa rectangular BAR PROGRESS FOR THE EULOGY Th 3 . OLIVER SMITH 2 1

SUPRA SYSTEMS 101

That 5 What’s certain, however, is is certain, however, What’s 6 Observing users undertaking the thoroughly uninteresting task of of task Observing uninteresting undertaking users the thoroughly 4 estimation in “Microsoft Minutes”. estimation in “Microsoft A somewhat inaccurate Windows file copy dialogue with a progress bar and time Windows file copy dialogue with a progress A somewhat inaccurate Long-time Windows developer Raymond Chen offers a technically accurate technically accurate a Chen offers Raymond developer Windows Long-time of these scenarios: thecopy first “The for explanation dissatisfying if slightly try.” to forced is it but the future, predict can’t It guessing. dialog just is querying a transport database, Myers found that the use of percent-done percent-done the useof that found Myers querying database, a transport their that feel to users allowing by anxiety users’ reduced indicators progress an offered bar if the progress be Furthermore, successful. would action - effective time more their wait they plan could completion, time to estimated manner”. “in productive some it using ly, MINUTES MICROSOFT Inaccurate will a task difficult. take is long how knowing however, reality, In the at system operating in the Windows so common were time estimates “Microsoft as users some they by became known that the millenium of turn as such could begin a high with estimate Windows files in Copying Minutes”. to minutes take ten in reality and minutes, few a to rapidly drop hour, an almost appear small a single file could copying Alternatively, complete. to completion. years two over of an estimate giving finished before that the wild variance is a complicating factor in the intention to lower the lower to in the intention factor a complicating is the wild variance that - a predicta present to attempting In indicators. progress using anxiety user’s of realities the physical by hindered is bar the progress interface, smooth ble, overworked delays, communication network including computation, user requests. erratic and hardware, The American computer scientist Brad A. Myers identified the importance of of importance the identified Myers Brad A. scientist computer American The items them as describing study, 1985 his in in digital interfaces bars progress is progress drives…as charity in thermometers up “like the fillgiant that made”. does not explain, however, why the second scenario occurs to such extremes extremes scenario the occurs second such to why however, explain, does not systems. operating other not but in Windows 102 OLIVER SMITH The halfwaypointof2018,from @ProgressBar201X. done nothing shit shit shit”. posters had wasted year the thus far, such as always the relatable “fuck i’ve average tweet, including hyperbolic reaction GIFsand declarations that example, 50%point the of 2018received ten as times many replies as the thousand likes and retweets, but at key points engagement this spikes. For percent of year the elapses. For most tweets receive the the part, afew progress tweetsanew cally three or bar image four every days, as another passagethe of over time ayear inone-percent increments.bot The automati- indicator: instead of measuring computational task completion, it measures The Twitter account @ProgressBar201X recontextualisesthe progress A YEAR’SPROGRESS around room.” the tor, however, subjects the apparently got bored with screen and the looked on had no screen since other the they task to do. Without aprogress indica- that “when progress the indicator is present, subjects the tended to watch it away as it is to wait for acomputer to complete agiven task. Myers found @ProgressBar201X is darkly watchable: it is as captivating year the to fall see A Rake’s Progress always, is all downhill. pate inaperformative, melodramatic version of progress that, like Hogarth’s of time, itperiod doesn’t to lower seem anxiety levels. It allows- us to partici stable and predictable, our unlike fluctuating personalthat experience of 8 7 While progress the bar of year the is extremely 9 SUPRA SYSTEMS 103 the user. the user. 10 The progress bar, in contrast, is a device with in contrast, bar, progress The 11 the user from the task at hand. It allows us—at least in least us—at allows It hand. the at task the user from - con animations these find will we often site, take a video we streaming If the added to or shown, created, a script: by generated a GIF or within tained system’s the with no further interaction have begins, a task as theypage often example, for If, completion. on removed hidden or they until are progress will see you a loading play, press and a video with load online a page you will keep the animation WiFi, your deactivate now you If animation. are sites Some data. load more no can it the fact that despite spinning not than often more but offline, they notify to the are user that programmed surface, is entirely It indefinitely. will going keep the looped animation of indicator the server an from much and - as the network from decoupled the user as twiddling their thumbs. progress a device then, is capture to indicator, progress A looped animation in a system as observers of the task’s progression. Of course, when presented when presented Of course, progression. observers as the task’s in a system of watch and sit necessarily don’t we a time estimate, and bar a progress with a have second may we – multitask to us often allow Modern systems up. fill it tend environments our and hand, at a smartphone of in the form computer conditions. test Myers’ under room the empty than diverse beto more of form a remains the finish closer to the visual getting experienceStill, of time. of the passage of a marker and entertainment a looped animation? rather but bar a progress shown aren’t if we What the spinning, to sway losing bar the progress show in user interface Trends of no indication gives which often looped unbounded animation, pulsating, hand. the at task of the progress the distracted by system: the and task ties to us it attention, our colonising By escape. our plan to unable occurring, something are of we visual promise an becomes wait the way, pleasing cyclical, visually in a hypnotically Rendered application the system, of reality the dull Depending on moment. addictive indicator, “emotional” an designing into put the effort and using, we’re site or the wait. even prefer may we Far from freeing us to pursue other tasks, progress indicators can capture us us capture can indicators progress tasks, other pursue to us freeing from Far free to the potential theory—to know and thus plan our newly free time. The best progress bars bars progress newly The freebest time. our plan thus theory—to and know and the future predict to forced appeasements, interstitial slick not are the of representations accurate but in control, feel us make to tuned carefully their Let users. remember us and computers of nature unpredictable chaotic, as a looped so seductively quite move not theymay their flaws, them for clarity, find some may we stutters and in their miscalculations but animation set in motion. we tasks the computational truth about of form some 104 OLIVER SMITH 7 6 5 ad A.Myers(1985) TheImportance 4 3 shley Rodriguez(2018) Hawai 2 1

CHI ‘85Conferenceproceedings. Human Factors inComputingsystems, for Computer-HumanInterfaces. of Percent-Done Progress Indicators cessed: 22ndAugust 2018). at: http://www.ajaxload.info/, (Ac August 2018). -b7e8-00144feab7de(Accessed: 19th ft.com/content/9d7e50a4-e906-11e4 Hounslow, Available at: https://www. Ram (2015) Flashcrash: Ten daysin cessed: 19thAugust 2018). tus/1013756557618827270?s=19 (Ac at: https://twitter.com/jackferry0/sta nothing shitshit, Available bad (Accessed: 19thAugust 2018)) copy-dialog-why-is-the-estimation-so- com/questions/43562/windows-file- BAD?, Available at: https://superuser. dialog: Whyistheestimationso… Zaslavsky (2009) Windowsfilecopy the SuperUsermessageboard(Maxim speculation suchasthosefoundon This leadsto ultimatelyfruitless some cessed: 19thAugust 2018). ing/20040106-00/?p=41193/(Ac msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewth estimates?, Available at: https://blogs. the copydialoggivesuchhorrible of-an-imminent-missile-threat/ (Ac alarm-alerted-hawaiian-residents- at: https://qz.com/1179298/a-false- imminent missileattack, Available ians werefalselywarnedaboutan cessed: 19thAugust 2018). Jack Ferry(2018) fucki’vedone Raymond Chen(2004) Whydoes Br (2018) Sample A Lindsay F ortado, Philip Stafford, Aliya PhilipStafford,Aliya ortado, of20loaders, Available - - - -

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2018). ing-apps/ (Accessed: 19thAugust designing-emotional-interfaces-bor smashingmagazine.com/2018/04/ Boring Apps, Available at: https://www. ForDesign EmotionalInterfaces cessed: 19thAugust 2018). status/1013754253570166785 (Ac twitter.com/ progressbar201x/ 50% complete., Available at: https:// CHI ‘85Conferenceproceedings. Human Factors inComputingsystems, for Computer-HumanInterfaces. of Percent-Done Progress Indicators cuts into thedisplay. status bariniPhoneXwherethenotch Windows 8’s the Metro userinterface, X Lionandbeyond,thetaskbarin appear, includingscroll barsinMacOS A Bars ingener Pr Br al arebeginningto dis - - - 105 - TOBIAS REVELL TOBIAS PLAYING PLAYING GAME THE tainment industry. In the same way that film was both the lightning rod and rodand film was lightning both the that way the same In industry. tainment now video games century, in the twentieth studies cultural for test litmus deservedly critique—and and so. analysis reflective of level the same attract we that of ways indications find we practices, video game the of fringes At worlds. our of the boundaries challenge might a them is play people other watching but myself, video games playing I like feel people I imagine how experience. It's sublime particularly cathartic, think people their way watching I enjoy snooker. or golf watching about We learn through play. By playing, we test the boundaries of the world, its its the world, of the boundaries test we playing, By play. learn through We system in our interactions of the qualities and norms, social behavioural and a within competing and inventing, exploring, implies Play relationships. of denotes skilful successful play and or limitations, or protocols set of given step also one can go those play to rules. But peak according performance in which they relationships of the system understand when players further, deconstruct- détournement, of in a practice they engage act can so that well respect everyday players that the boundaries around working and ing unquestioningly. a popularly-maligned from evolved Over have decade, video the last games enter valuable most the world’s of one into “geeks” and children of hobby 106 TOBIAS REVELL to include alitany of YouTubers and makers. video architecture of games to make cinematic narratives and has since expanded of watching amovie. Machinima has its origins practice of inthis using the watching game avideo approximates more and more closely experience the through problems and make choices, and with constant advances inCGI, Done meetups. Quick IRL runner celebrities and intrigue; and festivals and events, such as popular the Games AverageTreyVG. As with any subculture founded on Internet, the there are downsruns of specific by ardent YouTuber critics like Bismuth and commentary subculture has with intense evenarisen, analyses and break- descriptions of techniques and constraints applied A speedrunning to run. the Recordsrules. are generally accompanied by that avideo shows with run the like and Speedrun.com Twin as core acting Galaxies databases of records and found can be Speedrunning varietyof inawide forms and forums, with sites flexingedgesthe the of technical and conceptual construction the game.of confinesrewards rules, speedrunning the of “play”the in sense ludic of and conflated with performing good at withinthe thebeing just sport very cycling or any other form of or sport game is where measured mastery by real way. avery Unlike,mean mastery in for instance, tennis, cricket, football, andacts showmanship mastery of I've that seen inany discipline– and I is responsible speedrunning best, for some of most the unfalteringly stunning isof art the Speedrunning exploitation of simulated environments. At its game from journey to beginning end. choices to prioritise over speed other markers like or health wealth inthe form of enemies or obstacles, having an innate of sense economy the of and rhythms, responding instinctively and efficiently to challenges the in game—possessing amental and motor dexterity precisely attuned to its rules simplest iterations, can this simply good at playing mean being very the anyuse strategy made possible by game’s the to In achieve code speed. its possible. than Rather simply playing fast, however, very can speedrunners act—orthe art—of completing agame or of part agame inas little as time mechanics of agame, but for different is essentially Speedrunning purposes. developspeedrunners anuanced understanding of architecture the and a more strategic of sense creativity same inthe territory. machinimists, Like through medium the of gaming, demonstrates practiceof the speedrunning display videos While these an impressive degree of narrative creativity unintended by game the developers and writers. game architecture, its physics and mechanics to create alternative narratives Souls VaatiVidya's lengthy but addictive expositions onDark inthe theories games all set to games stunning set all visuals. 3 2 In streams, these players the the use 1 See, for See, instance,

SUPRA SYSTEMS 107 means no item manipulation or ‘wrong warp- means no item manipulation or ‘wrong 4 Figure 1: The leader board on speedrun.com of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of leader board on speedrun.com of The Figure 1: - microsec shave played by speedrunners to This twenty-year-old game is still continually means are different conditions for runs; ‘any%’ The tabs at the top onds off play time. This is a common as long as the game is finished. of completion is acceptable any level IM/WW’ most games. ‘no category across Speedrunning can be traced back to the first arcade video games. Players Players video games. arcade Speedrunning be can traced the first to back of webmasters send them into and VHS tapes their runs on record would post the runs. and authenticate Galaxies, who would Twin like forums speedrunning of occurred the in the explosion the mid-1990s with real But Quake like new games and connections Internet home of parallel emergence to create players allowed that editors with came Doom. Thesegames and speeds were internet dial-up Early them online. share and levels their own the However, Internet. over the video files transferring for insufficient often began players some result, As a lower. significantly was maps demo for data a runs at of the data “record” to creations their level reverse-engineer to in others by replayed could then be which filevideo, size than lower much and formats, recording games, of then, the range Since the community. speedruns exponentially expanded has watching and sharing for channels remain titles popular themost although bandwith: of the growth alongside of The Legend 007 and GoldenEye Bros., Mario Super as such the classics, Zelda: Time. Ocarina of to the mechanics of this game in particular. ing’ which are techniques specific (Accessed https://www.speedrun.com/oot at: Available Credit: Speedrun (2018). [Online]. September 1st 2018) 108 TOBIAS REVELL effective testing and validation procedures to identify “cheating”. and anarchic, but its world is incredibly with rule-bound, fervent and By deliberately exploiting such glitches, may speedrunning appear piratical YouTubeTwitch. and on views generate sitescan like streamsmillions of video speedrunner as to debatepoints finer the whatof constitutes exactly run. a Meanwhile, springDedicated wikis up to logtechniques, routes, and strategies, as well looking forspeedrunners any microsecond edge over competitors. their element ofevery construction their pored over by acommunity of rabid for are and speedrunning dissected broken with code, down to very their boundariesthe that structure world the of game. the The popularmost games toallows exist run the first inthe trueplay,place. This is pushing and testing exploits glitches, cuts, shortcuts, tricks, and world the hacks to defy that otherthe hand, challenges world the developers the have built. It abuses and within confines the the wayof the developers intended. on Speedrunning, In normal play, terms denote these that game the was followed and finished challengesSpeedrunning notions the of how we “play” and “beat” games. com/watch?v=9BChZORabk (Accessed 28thAugust 2018). AGENT 0:52-UNTIEDWORLDRECORD.[onlinevideo].Available at:https://www.youtube. slightly faster. Credit:Author’s screenshot/karljobst(2017).GOLDENEYEN64-DAM background assetsthathave to beloadedinthegame,thusallowinggameto run continuously anglesthecamera downwardstowards thefloor:thisviewreduces understanding ofitsconstruction. Throughout therun,weseeverylittlebecauseKarl the gameisconventionallyunderstood, butrather anapproach thatreveals adense the Damlevel inGoldenEye007at52seconds. There's almostnoplayinit in the way Figure 2: This isastillfrom a video in which Karl beats a fifteen-year-old record for

SUPRA SYSTEMS 109 Cheating isn't cheating in the sense that we might understand it by the rules by it understand might we in the sense that cheating isn't Cheating (literally the map through clipping everyday play, In gaming. normal of fights bosses avoid to around navigating the landscape), through passing at deception outright best and at poor sportsmanship be considered would the disingenuous essentially is speedrunning, however, worst. Cheating in editing means cheats, of heinous the most of one a run. Splicing, of reporting scrutinis- spend hours parts. Fans pre-recorded discrete a run from together mismatched or frames skipped as such splicing of signs videos for ing - in a certain game—in detect splicing to fact, the techniques In inventories. wikis on tabulated and collated cues (themselves in-game for cluding looking used speedrun. to the varied techniques as as In documents)—are open and which Boy, Meat in Super animation sprite a loading of 4 the frames Figure are analysed animation, “down” and “up” an cycle of 40-frame a regular has splicing. from resultthat might irregularities detect any to screen to from screen involving frequently cheat, a common obviously is footage Photoshopping Speedrunners levels. of the end at screen on appear that numbers changing by authenticity demonstrate to behaviour emergent an developed have in is, it that show to the time display over and around their cursor moving still image. a Photoshopped fact, not a video and Figure 3: Speedrun fans and analysts will look for evidence of cheating in video and of cheating in video for evidence Figure 3: Speedrun fans and analysts will look player was caught 'splicing' that are uploaded. In this case a Donkey Kong audio tracks at: Legend’ Available screenshot / Apollo Credit: Author’s by analysis of the audio track. 2018 2018]. [Accessed 28 August https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdvFSQFZfK8

110 TOBIAS REVELL Jxg-0awDCWgLoGrgK_U/edit?usp=sharing (AccessedSeptember12018). Available at:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YWiHvjJf96LEz95BJFPmW7NZ Credit: SuperMeatBoy:Bandage Girl Autosave AnimationforDetecting Splices.[Online]. Figure 4:Analysisoftheframes ofaloadingsprite animationinSuperMeatBoy.

- SUPRA SYSTEMS 111 Another cheat is using an emulator to simulate one piece of hardware on on hardware of piece one simulate to emulator an using is cheat Another advantages significant create can Emulators it. reporting without another through the contrary, on a modern PC or, on rates frame faster through which can responses, precise more and faster enable to rates frame slower when every all counts. make the difference microsecond - communi different among varied and nuanced is cheating of definition The quickly when actions a runner is performs example, for ties. “Menu-ing”, inventory rudimentary moving like tasks from menu, the game through and saving rapidly as such techniques sophisticated more to around, items location. in a different respawn to out” “quitting or enemy an reset to loading is it as long as allowed generally is glitches exploit to manipulation Item how determines geography Yet the game. of the architecture by permitted their mastery respected for speedrunners are Japan, In regarded. is menu-ing continuous or the rapid which automate controllers turbo using menu-in of tools. reject such audiences Western whilst most buttons; of pressing Figure 5: Goldeneye 007 was a common target of Photoshopped finishing times for of Photoshopped Figure 5: Goldeneye 007 was a common target numbers on screen. Pixel pattern analysis years because of the ease of just copying the been copy-pasted. is performed detect when numbers have analysts to by speedrun 112 TOBIAS REVELL www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdvFSQFZfK8 [Accessed28August 20182018]. (2017). 10SpeedrunnersWhoWereCaughtCheating.[onlinevideo]A Figure 6.Videoofcheatingspeedrunners.Credit:Author’s screenshot/ApolloLegend 1 2018). Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYR3aNe8HrY (AccessedSeptember OutofBoundsSpeedrunin8:37.59.[Onlinevideo]. screeshot /ConnorAce(2017).Portal path through thegamethatplayerswouldn't takeinnormalgameplay.Credit:Author’s runsimplyrequiressomeacrobaticsFigure 7. to takea This out-of-boundsPortal vailable at:https:// SUPRA SYSTEMS 113 6 Figure 6 Figure 5 7 Radix, the leader of the SDA community, was keen to lay down a common a common down lay to keen was community, Radix, the SDA the leader of of out going banned thus rule all and all speedruns set games, for across more and Galaxies, a competitive in speedruns.bounds Conversely, Twin based game each on rules individual for allowed site, records game general became Galaxies approach the Twin Ultimately, architecture. each game’s the determining model for the standard now is and popular more much and discussing community speedrunning,ethics of each game’s with cheating. constitutes what on arbitrating runs and rules for suggesting idiosyncrasies. ideologyown and its evolved has game On Speedrun.com, each glitching—as like certain allow techniques do not communities game Some as in 0.00 seconds, games Pokemon early used complete to in the technique the making competition, of notion any 9—becauseseen they void in Figure community the Pokemon However, speedrun exercise. glitched a pointless debate. and challenges still for allow that sethas variables Even “glitchless” runs that employ none of these tricks are subject to debate, debate, to subject these tricks are of none employ runs that “glitchless” Even this day. to games twenty-year-old on still controversy court and shows a controversial “frame perfect” jumping technique that can be can used in that technique jumping perfect” “frame a controversial shows to has be actions of a Time: sequence of of Zelda: The Ocarina Legend run at may in the exact when the frame game order performed in the right involves This per sixtyparticular frames to speedstechnique second. up the jump to move attack an by followed explosion an of the physics using precision of this level Previously, area. inaccessible a normally into character an using code or game editing by “tools”, with only possible thought was dannyb21892 named in December player 2017, a second However, emulator. the execute to Zelda runs) managed glitchless for record-holder (the world active an to leading dexterity, sheer through technique demonstrated of a (the circumvention skip between a simple the difference over debate the to mechanics of (the exploitation a glitch and a game) part of large advantage). speedrunner’s that activity in an “cheating” constitutes what over arguments Paradoxically, in schisms fundamental the most of some caused rules bending have about is played examples theoldest of One speedrunningthe ethics of methodology. Quake for a forum began as (SDA), which Speed Demos Archive on out 2002. including Metroid games, other to expanded quickly but players of “out or worlds” used “secret 2002 commonly Speedrunners in Metroid the game parts of through navigating runs, thereby faster for play bounds” including be the gamer, to accessed by intended never were that architecture games As game. the of version final the spacesor from cut areas unfinished forums SDA grown, the has the speedrunning community and developed have in bounds” of “out of the meaning debate about a continuous sustained have interpretations. divergent vastly with game, each different of the context 114 TOBIAS REVELL making doinprecarious circumstances.” disposition for calibration helps to of make strategies sense everyday for sociotemporal the of gaming, aspects tify offeringthat the idea “play as a equivalent infinancial value figuresandsoccer inviewing to Europe—iden- Recent studies of huge the celebrity-driven gaming culture inSouth Korea— wiki/Potential_Skips. (AccessedSeptember12018). - Potential Skips.[Online].Available at:http://nier-automata-speedrunning.wikia.com/ move outsidethedesignedareaofgame. Credit:Nier Automata SpeedRunningWiki Figure 8.…whilethisNierAutomata techniqueinvolves clippingthrough themapto them to fully exploit tothem fully that system to advantage—to their it as see an artefact asophisticatedpossess of mastery asystem and its dynamics that allows may alightning be rod for ways of playing our world better. Speedrunners nascent about that—asthetwentieth speedrunning in with film century— prioritised by community, the there’s something richly and politically we could from learn to play insystems. While it may not acknowledgedor be over, and over again inorder toever-more find runs—isthat a strategy perfect for hobbyists and obsessives. But dedication the to iterative play—over, and staggering, evenifit from may seen outside the be as an esoteric subculture The levelsheer of accomplishmentthe community in is of speedrunners gamers—acts as areaction against the perceived malaise of precarious society. differentbetween of existence—thespeeds rapid “Actions Per Minute” of elite 8 In other words, ability the to move SUPRA SYSTEMS 115

9 ...Puzzling is not a solitary game: every move the puzzler makes, the the makes, puzzler the every move game: a solitary is not ...Puzzling picks and up, picks puzzler the every piece before; made has puzzle-maker a tries and tries, he every combination strokes, and studies and again, up each and hope each every insight, and every blunder time, second the by decided and calculated, designed, been all have discouragement other. run of Pokemon Yellow in 0 minutes. Yellow in 0 minutes. run of Pokemon screenshot / Werstler Credit: Author’s Yellow: 0:00 Speedrun (2011). Pokemon Record. [online video] Glitched World at: https://www.youtube.com/ Available watch?v=VlmoEpNNiV (Accessed Sep- tember 1 2018). Figure 9. A full game glitched speed The world is increasingly simulated by systems and databases that bound our bound that databases and by systems simulated is increasingly world The these within play We systems. controlled and in regimented interactions to or see unable but we meetthem when offthe limits bouncing confines, than more as it imagine never can because we the construction beyond move us Speedrunning shows the game. play We sky. limitless and solid ground not them and meaningfully playing systems, with interacting of new ways of the playing Speedrunnersthe play their confines. within operating just by simulated and structured increasingly a world navigate we As game. reconstructmethodology of the game and the rules that mentality a software, world—and in that agency sense of our for implications profound have can requires. that technical proficiency the critical and contained by its construction, and thus open to manipulation. A casual manipulation. to open thus and construction, its by contained solid and believing the ground world, the simulated into buy might gamer thespeedrunner A screen. by bounded world the whole limitless, the sky its at be can broken surface that a collision simply is the ground that knows the of slice the a mere screen and map, environment an the sky edges, their relationship change thus Speedrunners can their control. at architecture a is Every game it. within their position and the game, the developer, with certainto perform together functions. fit parts that interacting of system to able they are so that these keenly mechanics Speedrunners understand plaground, their own toto as new use uses—to to the game in the system turn contradictory in resonates, power That by developers. the defined one not : Manual A User's Life: Perec's in Georges the preamble with ways, 116 TOBIAS REVELL 9 8 7 6 eather Alexandra (2017) New Trick 5 Wikia, Available Speedruns 4 3 aatiVidya, Available at: https://www. 2 1

22nd August 2018). speedrun.com/pkmnyellow (Accessed: low, Available at: https://www. August 2018). wha-1796849850 (Accessed: 22nd na-of-time-speedrunners-debating- kotaku.com/new-trick-has-ocari Actually Is, Available at: https:// ners DebatingWhatAGlitch Has Ocarinaof Time Speedrun August 2018). wiki/No_IM/WW (Accessed: 22nd at: http://oot-speedruns.wikia.com/ cessed: 22ndAugust 2018). at: https://gamesdonequick.com/ (Ac cessed: 22ndAugust 2018). youtube.com/user/VaatiVidya (Ac August 2018) machinima.com/ (Accessed: 22nd Manual, London:VintageClassics. Anthropologist, 120(3), pp.500-511. Digital GamingCulture’, American Play’: SociotemporalityKorean inSouth html(Accessed: 22ndAugust 2018). cussion_on_the_out_of_bounds_rule. speeddemosarchive.com/post/dis rule, Available at: https://forum. the OutofBounds on Discussion Georges Perec Stephen C.Rea Speedrun.com -P H OoT Games DoneQuick, A V Machinima, A vailable at: http://www. (1996) Life:AUser’s (2018)‘Calibrating okémon Yel vailable ------117 MOLLY WRIGHT STEENSON WRIGHT MOLLY

1 - program its to all assign the credit cannot “we claim—that His One might observe loops and subroutines, but no “locus no of but observe subroutines, might One and loops 3 2 I INTELLIGENCE INTELLIGENCE THE IN UNEXPECTED intelligence.” mer if the operation of a system comes to reveal structures not recognizable recognizable not structures reveal to comes a system of mer if the operation today engineer an from come have the programmer”—could by anticipated or does. it the way works algorithm a deep learning why explain who cannot At least one plan which you did not expect.our to did not unexpected The is central which you plan one least At Marvin As artificial. or whether is, human intelligence very what idea of than more little denote seems to ‘intelligence’ me in 1960, “To wrote Minsky do not respect, but to happen which we performances of the complex understand.” - com was Generator built. never was it in Florida; a site for centre retreat be could that components other and posed each side, 150 cubes, on 12 feet of users. Generator’s of the desires to according cranes mobile by around moved proposed Frazer Julia and John the programmer-architects later, years Four for programme, The Boredom Generator. for programmes computer four been if the parts moved not had layouts Generator’s redesign would instance, expect do is to the would very it system, a kick you least you in a while. “If a handwritten In Price. to proposal in his wrote Frazer John back,” you kick useful only if we were we that seemed imply to “You added, he postscript, expect. did not I think definition some this you leads to that results produced expect would from you that thing one least At in general. aids computer of which you plan one least at produce should it that is program half decent any expect.” did not arts Cedric intelligent designed Price an n 1976,the architect 118 MOLLY WRIGHT STEENSON 3 (1961).,‘Stepstowardvin Minsky 2 razer (2017)‘Letterto Cedric 1 algorithmsthe show weaknesses.” their tion works well. But as as people—or soon sheep—do something unexpected, asthem flowers. As Shane explains, “If life plays image rules, the by recogni as dogs,” she writes. When she colours orange, them algorithm the parses as cats.labeled Pick up asheep (or agoat) inyour arms, and they’re labeled data showed sheep on green pastures. “Bring sheep indoors, and they’re landscapes, none even when foggy are present—clearly training the because algorithm insinuates sheep (or “hallucinates” into them) green, rocky and things. Shedo silly discovered how Microsoft the Azure computervision we’ve created. Janelle Shane, engineer, an electrical trains networks neural to Theresults unexpected algorithmsof press our assumptions aboutthe worlds video game.video toUniverse train anplatform AIagenttheir to play CoastRunners, aboat race That outcome when very in2016 seen researchersbe could used OpenAI at stand how algorithms world, the see or us, or there’s whether any difference. understand boundaries the and permeability of machine learning, to under score,high algorithm—provide the sheep the that befuddle us with ways to surreal responses—theunexpected, game video boat that careens its way to a toward the humansuncharitable thatother spun into itbecomes existence.But droneAI—the that misstrikes, AIthat the develops superintelligence and andThe unwelcome unexpected arewhere peoplemosttheir direct fears of it to do, and outcomes the not could be but only unexpected dangerous. reinforcement learning: it’s hard to get an agent to what doexactly you want Winning! As researchers the note, experiment their is acautionary for tale a normal lap—and got 20%more points than its human competitors. continuously caught itself on fire, smashed into boats, other never completed pick up targets along way. the But AIagent the player ran its boat backwards,

Accessed 19thAugust 2018. mit.edu/~minsky/papers/steps.html. of theI.R.E.49.https://web.media. Intelligence’.Artificial Proceedings Press, pp.160. Digital Landscape. Cambridge:MIT Designers andArchitects Createdthe (ed.) Architectural Intelligence:How Price’, inMollyWright Steenson Mar John F ibid 5 Typically, players complete clockwiselaps lagoon inasmall and 4

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August 2018). ward-functions/. (Accessed: 19th at: https://blog.openai.com/faulty-re Reward Functions intheWild, Available 19th August 2018). dream-of-electric-sheep.(Accessed: post/171451900302/do-neural-nets- able at: http://aiweirdness.com/ nets dreamofelectricsheep?, Avail- Jack Clark,DarioAmodei(2016) F Janelle Shane (2018) Do neural aulty - - - SUPRAMOLLY WRIGHTSYSTEMS STEENSON 119 CONTRIBUTORS 120 neatosfo h C. RCA. the fromInteractions Hague, and an MAinDesign typography from KABK the inthe a BA ingraphic and design fromOriginally France, he holds Goldsmiths University of London. atdesign teaches practice.He algorithms through design critical where he investigates ‘predictive’ at Royal the of College inLondon Art Information Design Experience currently a PhD candidateis in He and play technology insociety. questionscreatively roles the science researcher. His practice design www.davidbenque.com DAVID BENQUÉ www.misterpaulbailey.com the Unitedthe Kingdom. Higherthe Education Academy in Educators’ Network and afellow of member of Graphic the Design Displacement Group, committee UK; founding member of Design the member of Supra Systems Studio, Eyck Academie, Netherlands; the London,Arts advisor at Jan the van Communication, University of the Media at Design London of College ly course for leader MAGraphic inLondon,based UK.He is current - designer, educator and researcher PAUL BAILEY

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for BA (Hons) Interaction Design Interaction (Hons) BA for Arts at of College London Communication. His background in background His Communication. hashe and studies, and cultural film in the relationship interest an inherent between how theory and practice and this manifests in the environment. studio Media Studies at The New School. The at Studies Media New The of the author is She Library: Designing with Downtown the Deep Mapping Communities; City; CodeMedia Clay, and and contributes she Dirt, and and Data column long-form a regular mediated and data urban about Journal. Places infrastructures to design at the Victoria and Albert and Mu the Victoria design at Tobias with Together seum, London. curatorial half of one is Revell she Machines. Haunted project research the at Institute tutor a visiting is Natalie Design in Barcelona. European of wordsinspace.net/shannon/ www.ndkane.com JOEL KARAMATH www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-col lege-of-communication/people/ jo-mcvey2 SHANNON MATTERN NATALIE KANE NATALIE is a sound artist and and artist a sound is is an artist, design artist, an is researcher based in London. His His based in London. researcher and power opaque practice examines and in data hidden processes through technologies networked talks. and interventions, installations, internationally, exhibited is work His a finishing currently is he and the University at doctoral scholarship creative in the critical and Sussex of aestheticisation. data practice of www.sarahendren.com www.wesleygoatley.com SARA HENDREN WESLEY GOATLEY researcher, and writer based at Olin based writer at and researcher, also is a She Engineering. College of America think tank the New at fellow on book, first her on work at is and the unexpected where places design, the heart of at is disability Riverhead/ from forthcoming work Her House. Random Penguin held is and beenhas exhibited widely at MoMA collections in the permanent museum. the Cooperand Hewitt 122 candidate at indesign Goldsmiths. and (Geneva). Lift He is a PhD Transmediale ThingsCon (Berlin), (Utrecht), Web Directions (Sydney), Reality, FutureEverything, IMPAKT recently appeared at Improving and exhibits internationally, and has Impakt festival in2017.He lectures Haunted Machines curated who research and curatorial project Strange Telemetry and one-half of co-founder of research consultancy of Communication, UAL. He is a Communication at London College of MAInteraction Design www.tobiasrevell.com TOBIAS REVELL www.alistairmcclymont.com ALISTAIR MCCLYMONT Albert Museum.Albert (Netherlands) Victoria &the and (France), STUK MU (Belgium), include Tate the Modern, Stereolux andvideo digital. Recent exhibitions installation, sculpture, image, sound, practiceencompassinga varied Alistair exhibits internationally with London of College Communication. (Hons) Graphic and Media at Design inEmerging onLead Practice BA developer.designer,and Subject He is

is Course Leader Leader is Course is an artist, London ofCollege Communication. andDesign Image Making at and Digital Lecturer inCritical of Demystification the Committee and installations. Oliver is amember systems as interventions, performances His work engages directly with these systems, processes and computation. mythsthe surrounding large-scale music events inindustrial places. producing large-scale electronic involved with aParis collective based ISCOM. Paris. He is currently CommunicationDigital from He holds aMasters inMedia and and environments.societies information impacts human investigates forms the inwhich in London.work recent His postgraduateDesign student based www.oliversmith.cc OLIVER SMITH www.michaelsedbon.com MICHAEL SEDBON MICHAEL

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SUPRA SYSTEMS 123 is the K&L is MOLLIE WRIGHT STEENSON MOLLIE WRIGHT www.girlwonder.com Gates Associate Professor of Ethics Ethics of Professor Associate Gates at Technologies & Computational & Senior University Carnegie Mellon in the Research Dean for Associate the is Arts. Fine She College of Intelligence: “Architectural of author Architects Designers and How (MIT the Digital Landscape” Created of the co-editor 2017) and Press, 2019). Press, (MIT Futures” “Bauhaus

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of technology and innovation innovation technology and of is She writer. and artist, systems, lead of and Supra Systems co-founder in Lecturer Studio Critical Senior and London at Design and Studies a and Communication; College of research of member founding Telemetry. Strange consultancy been exhibited has widely work Her and published, in recently most The Atlantic, Harvard Design Review, Harvard Design Review, Atlantic, The Italia Auto and Eindhoven, TAC East.South designer. She holds a BA in a BA holds She designer. Design Arts from Interaction Communication. College of London focused the on projects recent Her of architecture memory and the & Castle; and Elephant pollution between air relationship is Ewa rural in Poland. religion and in the design and intern an currently Superflux. studio research cargocollective.com/ejwnr www.georginavoss.com WINIARCYZK EWA GEORGINA VOSS 124 SUPRA SYSTEMS 125 ILLUSTRATIONS 126 ARTICLE TITLE 127 (2018) by (2018) by MICHAEL SEDBON MICHAEL (1981), Jean Baudrillard nods back to Borges’ Borges’ nods to back Baudrillard (1981), Jean is an installation in which 10 Physarum Polycephalum Polycephalum in which 10 Physarum installation an is CTRL Cover art and illustrations are taken and adapted from Ctrl from adapted taken and are illustrations art and Cover Sedbon. CtrlMichael – also known as slime molds - compete with each other to play John John play to each other with - compete molds slime as – also known Life. of Game Conway’s tube. protoplasmic a food thought to a connected source are molds slime The Skin Galvanic through measured is electricalmolds of The the potential is then data This Mega. Arduino an to up hooked sensors, Response through processed and 10 computer Windows board a single to transmitted that are co-ordinates used as spatial outputs resulting The software. custom Life. of the Game of set the original state and the gaming, control in a collection which game of a computer consists of Life original Game The rules. based mathematical a few on multiply or die, live, cells of THE MAP MANIPULATING describes Borges Luis (1946), Jorge Ciencia en la Rigor story Del short his In reality. extract from value and perceive to in order maps make must we how his to do justice do not that maps with being presented at unhappy A king, the on one only so detailed that a map of the creation demands kingdom, will itself suffice. scalesame the empire as the But a model. into it abstract must we a system manipulate to order In abstractions. ofthe resolution efficacy onthe ofthese depends models into feeding society, parts of in many decisions inform Our data-maps the to borders, through pass we the way From algorithms. decision-making tremendous hold algorithms in a supermarket, buy we what of tracking are Our digital selves datafied. increasingly are We lives. our in power parsable into formatted avatars, of flow immense an into transformed advertising targeted around measures predictive inform to in order datasets between loop feedback a spinning building are We enforcement. law and on, the is trained artificial data intelligence the more outcome: need and new information. will producing it bebetter at In Simulacra and Simulation now are we and away the territory fading is that argues but allegory, map was. once of what abstraction a simulated map: left with the only 128 ARTICLE TITLE SUPRA SYSTEMS 129 130 ARTICLE TITLE SUPRA SYSTEMS 131 132