By – Source
Shock and austerity. Stock market instability. Stagnant wages and the decline of purchasing power. War. Climate change. Despite these multiplying crises, capitalism retains an essential tool that allows it to perpetuate itself on a global level despite its internal contradictions: the ability to leverage technological developments to liquidate the political power of those who would oppose it. At such a crossroads, when labor as an organized force is being dissolved into flexible precarity, how does one attempt to tip the scales and reverse our accelerating fragility? The answer lies in a shift of focus, from a politics of power to a politics that looks critically at infrastructure, a politics of re-purpose, (re-)design, appropriation and the reclamation of space, and of new forms of economic expression.
Whatever the future will be, or whatever name we want to label the path to it, there is one realization that is facing us: it must be post-capitalist. We firmly believe that another world is possible, but it must be built, and the rules and programs for this construction are still largely unwritten.
We propose the creation of a zone of experimentation with the intention of bringing together dissenting agencies with critical practices in hopes of finding prototypes and models for a post-capitalist society. Such a platform calls for a cross-pollination of ideas, a shared and in-depth dialogue, and easily accessible means for hands-on experimentation. This new space will be open to all wanting to participate.
The topics we hope to cover include – but are not limited to:
- The politics of infrastructure
- The remaking of space by neoliberal capitalism
- The relationships between big data, media, and infrastructure
- Tactics and strategies for re-purposing technologies, complex systems, infrastructure and the politicization of spatial practices
- D.I.Y. techniques and how-to guides
- Alternative economies
- Sustainable living, agriculture, energy, and architecture
- The possibilities and pitfalls of automation
- Eco-activism and infra-activism
- Intervention design
- Tactical media
- New and experimental cartographies
- Peer-to-peer approaches to production and distribution
Contributions can take a variety of forms:
- Articles and essays
- Fragments and speculations
- Videos, links, and commentaries
- How-to guides, plans, and prototypes
- Reports, stories, and interviews
Anyone who is interested need only drop us a line here, or you can email me at [email protected].
https://deterritorialinvestigations.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/rebuilding-a-call-for-contributors/