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<div class="pre" style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-family: monospace"><a href="http://www.gredits.org/interfacepolitics/en/call-for-papers-eng/">The Interface Politics Conference</a> is about reflecting on the role and influence of interfaces within the universe of tools from the contemporary production system. How are the imaginaries related to creativity, politics, labour, economics and culture configured and created in the context of a universalised system of interfaces that is based on the promise of being natural, transparent, simple and accessible? What answers and actions can be articulated from design practices that aim to question the utopias arising from a form of communication that is increasingly subject to a culture of control? How can alliances be established between design, the field of critical thinking and action, and industrial and institutional narratives linked to technological theologies?<br /> This initiative is being presented as a meeting forum for gathering, discussing and disseminating multiple approaches, experiences and practices from the fields of design, political philosophy, arts, activism and communication studies from academic and non-academic perspectives.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.gredits.org/interfacepolitics/en/call-for-papers-eng/">CALL FOR PAPERS</a><br /> <br /> <br /> Persons wishing to participate in talks/presentations will have to follow the concept pairings (see below). Said pairings come with reference tags, which will serve as guidance. Presentations can address multiple pairings and can cross over between them while proposing specific fields for action and reflection (design, philosophy, engineering, activism, software studies, social sciences, etc.).</div>
<div class="pre" style="margin: 0; padding: 0; font-family: monospace"><br /> <br /> Concept pairings:<br /> <br /> STANDARDISATION vs INNOVATION<br /> How to resolve the demand for innovation in design and artistic fields with tools that are increasingly standardised?<br /> Related tags: Teaching methods for design, Contradictions, paradoxes, diagnoses, experiments, solutions.<br /> <br /> UTOPIA vs HETEROTOPIA<br /> The narrative of interfaces has been constituted within the utopic narratives that are characteristic of technologies for information and the communication of capitalism. Is it possible to conceive and build heterotopic interfaces that can promote non-hegemonic times and spaces?<br /> Related tags: Disruptive design, hacking design. Interfacial art. Videogames and otherness. The media’s ‘anachronistic’ archaeology and genealogy.<br /> <br /> TRANSPARENCY vs OPACITY<br /> Interfaces are presented as transparency models. But are they opaque in the sense that they hide their procedures? How can interfaces be designed so that they divulge their own ideology?<br /> Related tags: Algorithms, indexing, data, software studies. Naturality vs. artificiality. Limits and boundaries of interfaces.<br /> <br /> SIMPLICITY vs COMPLEXITY<br /> Interfaces are presented as models of simplicity, ready to be operated by users who are not necessarily knowledgeable about technical procedures. Are they, however, promoting simplification of the physical and social realities they manage?<br /> Related tags: Training, self-teaching in design. Open code vs. buttons and icons. Usability. User experience analysis.<br /> <br /> SOLIDITY vs LIQUIDITY<br /> The communicational narrative of interfaces belongs to a discourse on liquid culture and economy. How can we understand this discourse amidst the reality of the physical mass of objects, goods and inventions? With the ubiquitous physicality of interfaces all around?<br /> Related tags: Materiality. Tangible media. Virtuality and physicality. Mobility and corporality.<br /> <br /> CHAOS vs CONTROL<br /> Interfaces have been established as devices for the domination and control of randomness, uncertainty and chaos. Are they the manifestation of machinery for ideological determination?<br /> Related tags: Governance systems and processes. Internet protocols. Interactions and emergency. Counterwork philosophies.<br /> <br /> USER vs OPERATOR<br /> Do interfaces bring about linguistic and conceptual changes in their users? Does communication no longer have a ‘target’, but instead users and agents? Likewise, do users become (in)voluntary operators of communication businesses and generate co-opted value for the company?<br /> Related tags: Immaterial work. Productivism. Potential agencies. Cooperative design processes.<br /> <br /> <br /> FORMAT AND SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS<br /> <br /> Abstracts of presentations must meet the following requirements:<br /> <br /> • PDF format.<br /> • Minimum length of 400 words. May be accompanied with a minimal bibliography in an enclosed document.<br /> • Language: Catalan and/or Spanish. An English version is compulsory.<br /> • The concept pairing(s) to which the proposed presentation belongs must be indicated.<br /> • Tags or keywords are limited to a maximum of 5.<br /> <br /> A CV must also be enclosed:<br /> <br /> • PDF format.<br /> • Language: Catalan, Spanish or English.<br /> • 350 words maximum.<br /> • Must include the person’s institutional, professional and other affiliations.<br /> • Email address.<br /> • Links to papers, works, etc. (the extent of this information is in addition to the 350 words of the CV)<br /> • Photograph.<br /> <br /> Abstracts and CVs should be emailed to: <a href="mailto:callforpapers@gredits.org">callforpapers@gredits.org</a><br /> <br /> For inquiries please contact: <a href="mailto:congres@gredits.org">congres@gredits.org</a><br /> <br /> <br /> KEY DATES<br /> <br /> 20 JAN 2016 – Abstract submission deadline<br /> 10 FEB 2016 – Deadline for the assessment results of the abstracts<br /> 20 APR 2016 – Submission of presentations for publication<br /> <br /> Those applications that are accepted will be published in the format of an ISBN-Assigned book, in print and digital format (PDF open-access under CC license) edited by GREDITS / Bau.<br /> <br /> <br /> ORGANIZERS<br /> <br /> This conference is a collaborative initiative from three institutions:<br /> <br /> • <a href="http://www.gredits.org/es/inicio/">GREDITS</a> (Design and Social Transformation Research Group) (from Bau, Design College of Barcelona), which seeks to promote new perspectives, reflections and practices within the field of design and creation.<br /> • IMAGIT/BCN: European consortium for multidisciplinary research funded by the EU’s Creative Europe programme, of which <a href="https://hangar.org/es/news/hangar-participa-en-el-projecte-imagit/">HANGAR</a> (Production and Research Centre for Visual Arts in Barcelona) is a member. The aim of the Barcelona programme is to produce practical research into the current situation with regard to the underlying aesthetics, mechanics and policies of interfaces.<br /> • The <a href="http://www.mediaccions.net/">MEDIACCIONS</a>/DIGITAL CULTURE Research Group from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).<br /> <br /> <br /> The conference is also supported by the following research groups:<br /> <br /> • GRE KONEKTO, from the University of Vic / Central University of Catalonia.<br /> • Research Group of Culture and Audiovisual, from School of Comunication and International Relations Blanquerna from Ramon Llull University.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> + info: <a href="http://www.gredits.org/interfacepolitics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">http://www.gredits.org/interfacepolitics/</a><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </div>
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