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Graham Harwood (YoHa) and Matthew Fuller (Goldsmiths, University of London) will discuss grey media in two lectures on Thursday 12 September at The New Institute. Grey media are the objects and systems that shape our lives without our noticing: microwaves, paper shredders, databases, Post-it notes, workflow systems, tampons. The curator and researcher Annet Dekker will lead the discussion at The Prism of Evil Media. The event comprises part of the summer programme The Ruin.
The term “evil media” comes from Matthew Fuller and Andrew Goffey’s book of the same name. Evil Media is a philosophical handbook on how power works in the 21st century. The authors examine the abstract infrastructures that operate in our society and speculate on numerous ways these systems can be manipulated. Without passing judgement, they investigate from various angles the invisible power grey media exert over our behaviour.
Inspired by the book, the artist duo YoHa (Graham Harwood and Matsuko Yokokoji) showcase examples of grey media in the installation “Evil Media Distribution Centre”. The artists have asked various contributors to select grey objects and provide the production date, designer’s name and background information for each, revealing the thinking that lies behind its origins. The piece illuminates motivations behind processes and products, placing them in a new light and bringing long-forgotten meanings to the surface. At the same time, it offers a spectrum of possibilities for manipulating grey media. The Evil Media Distribution Centre uses humour as it shows how sorting algorithms, workflow systems, abstraction layers and management ideology shape our lives.
The Prism of Evil Media
Date: Thursday 12 September
Time: 5–6.30pm
Location: The New Institute, Museumpark 25, Rotterdam
Registration: Registration page
Tip: After his lecture, on the same day, at 20.00 at the nearby V2_ there is a Test_Lab Summer Session