In the context of the Summerschool ‘Making Public Domain’ at the Middelheim Museum in Antwerp 11-15 September, Larbitslab organizes the masterclass ‘Claims on public space: on disruptive designs and future narratives for an open and free internet’.

More info:

Summerschool# 2 ‘Making Public Domain’

Programme:

Making Public Domain

A Summer School Event

11-15 september

Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft (the GAFAM), Uber, Airbnb, are the emblematic symbols of a “New Spirit of Capitalism” known as “Platform Capitalism” – a form of capitalism that net giants contribute to forge, legitimize and strengthen by the infrastructures and ecology of tools they put in place. Departing from the framework of commodification of public space, we will explore how, today, these tech companies use their market power to eliminate any potential or real competition and colonize the public domain under the cover of free services.

First, we will explore some of the devices and infrastructures implemented by net giants such as APIs which aim is to promote and strengthen this monopolistic situation, as they enable the massive exploitation of data on user practices, tastes and relationships – the value produced by the crowd. Second we will introduce a speculative fiction on a new resource the bitSOIL, inviting attendees to explore the plausibility of a virtual fully artificial republic, based on the fair distribution of this new resource.

The workshop takes place on the 11^th of September and above all invites participants to think about the future of an open and free internet, and explore the potential of new technologies such as blockchain to reclaim this public space and restore some of the basic rights of the stateless, notably refugees.

Practical:

Making Public Domain

Claims on public space: on disruptive designs and future narratives for an open and free internet

11/09/2017 > 14:00 – 17:30

Middelheimlaan 61

B-2020 Antwerp