Art, Science & Technology — Problem Solving in the 21st Century
Wisp has been invited to present our work at two international symposiums focusing on the intersection of science, art and technology. We joined other researchers, artists and activists who were presenting a wide variety of projects that challenge assumptions about technology and its value in our society. With the emergence of new technologies we see the emphasis on collaborative practices being the solution for global challenges that society faces today. The symposiums provide a space to discuss the frameworks for such collaborations.
The role of artists and designers are to question existing beliefs and value systems, proposing to see things in a new light. The day-to-day role of a designer does not just focus on a problem and a solution but everything in between with user-centered design approaches and initiating explorative research topics. Technologies allow to innovate and deviate from current norms and from what is possible, entering unknown territories and finding unique solutions to problems.
Inter/sections — Ethics and Politics in Media and Arts Technology
Inter/sections was a symposium that Wisp participated in debating the new ethical frameworks of emerging technologies. The event was organised by the PhD students of Media and Arts Technology of Queen Mary University in London. It was an open discussion reflecting on political upheavals of the past year, questioning the notion of privacy in a connected world, and how to be open in a commercialised digital space, and what it means to have ownership of intangible data.
The day kicked off with eight lightning talks — one of which was Wisp — in which academics, artists, and activists talked of their own interdisciplinary work challenging political and ethical questions to society. Each project presented makes use of new media or technology to deviate from the status quo of our relationships to ourselves, each other and the world around us.
Wisp was not the only project in the panel that uses technology to recreate or enhance intimate experiences. Caroline Yan Zheng works on enhancing remote intimacy by adding elements of synthetic touch through silicon robotics for long distance communication to increase the feeling of affection when one’s significant other is not physically present. Wisp facilitates long distance communication as well, but the focus lies on the exploration of one’s own body or with a partner, recreating the relaxing and sensual atmosphere of intimate experiences. Inventing novel modes of interaction with each other as well as with robots raise questions on the social implications this might have. Rather than replacing real human connections with technology, the ideas and products are about enhancing and intensifying human to human interactions, leading to better, more affective interactions and relationships.
BOZAR — Art, science & technology collaborations in Europe
The symposium at BOZAR, the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels took place on September 14th marking the opening day of the BOZAR Lab, a space for art, new media and technology for anyone to meet and reflect on innovations at the intersection of different disciplines. The lab is a unique space for research into the links between art, society and technology. Wisp presented during a panel discussion on “Collaborative practice in the 21st Century?”, which was opened by Ars Electronica’s artistic director, Gerfried Stocker, and featured the artists Anna Dumitriu, Pinar Yoldas and Haseeb Ahmed, all of whose works were exhibited in the FEAT (Future Emerging Art and Technology) exhibition. Each of the panelists presented their approach to design and art practices that challenges them to leave their comfort zone, and participate in research tackling diverse problems from carbon capture to stigmatised female sexuality.
While art projects were at the center of the discussion — gaining credits for their power to make science more accessible for different audiences — Wisp stands out specifically through the approach to turn a research project into a reality. Much of the project was inspired by elements of speculative design, and in that way it is very hopeful, open, and honest. It shows that there is a future for women outside of gender norms and conventional societal standards. What Wisp has done is develop a product that addresses many societal issues of what it means to be a woman. Our main focus is to destigmatise female sexuality, and have a different type of conversation. The commercialisation of the project allows us to reach the general public outside of institutions and tackle an issue in the real world.
The politicality of technologies
Every technology is political in one way or the other. It has the potential to challenge current beliefs and move beyond what we accept as normal or think possible. By applying new technologies to existing issues we can go as far as to rearrange our mental models and social norms, creating new standards for the future. It is conversations at events such as Inter/sections and the BOZAR Lab symposium that build the basis for a framework for ethical innovation, respecting society but making room for exploration and improvement.
The collaboration of scientists, technologists, artists and designers is promising to solve issues we haven’t found a solution for yet. To do so, it is important to take projects out of the laboratory into the popular or targeted discourse — either by entering the market or exhibiting the work through channels that influence culture and society. New technologies as well as art are political in the sense that they have the power to rearrange social systems, norms and conversations. They challenge what we believe to be possible and true and help to imagine and create better futures. Technology is ready to be repurposed for social impact, to take initiative for machine activism.
A lecture by Dr. Dan McQuillan at Inter/sections on politics and ethics of machine learning shed light on the very political form of computation and the way it is modifying policing, social services and human interactions that constitute our social fabric. Machine learning is and computer algorithms are shaping our world in profound and invisible ways. The algorithms are usually based on some sort of a pattern of life analysis. Intelligent machines are very good at abstracting human relationships, but they are not truly “intelligent”. They replace subjective judgments with objective measures. Their analysis is amplified internally and reinforced back on us — the invisible hand of AI.
It is important to talk about politics and technology as much of our everyday interactions are being algorithm based, and understood by computers and machines. Not to say that this is something that should be feared, but it needs to be addressed. A peoples council for ethical machine learning will be necessary to regulate artificial intelligences.
Wisp is operating within this exciting space of intersection of disciplines. Having started as a design research project at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College in London, the approach was to build a technological device to help women to have better intimate experiences by recreating a foreplay experience. At the same time the project challenges people to think about the why, and initiate a conversation on this taboo topic of female sexuality. Wisp has the potential to reach a broad audience and to achieve the goal of helping women to reconnect to their body and facilitate an open conversation about intimacy.
Interdisciplinary collaborations are important for problem solving and innovation. Initiatives and grants such as WEAR Sustain (a project supporting the development of sustainable wearable technology in Europe received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme) are necessary to facilitate such collaborations, build networks, and provide infrastructures to make collaboration and innovation happen to ultimately to provide citizens with the benefits of the new found solutions.
