Texts for Flyers in EN, FR, NL
QUANTIFY WHOLEHEARTEDLY
Natasha Roussel & Samedies
Expo: 8/06 – 23/07/2017
Opening | Vernissage: 08/06/2017 18:00
Workshops | Ateliers:
17/06/2017 17:00 - 20:00 : Presentation of Samedies, a Brussels-based women and free software working group | Présentation de Samedies, un groupe de travail de femmes et logiciels libres à Bruxelles | Presentatie van de Samedies, een Brusselse groep van vrouwen en vrije software
07/07/2017 15:00 - 19:00 : City Walks and feminist self-quantification | City Walks et auto-quantification féministe | Stadswandelingen en feministische zelfmeetbaarheid
Constant
rue du Fortstraat 5
1060 Brussels
www.constantvzw.org | www.constantasbl.org
(text = +/- 150 words or 1.000 characters including spaces)
In a world where digital practices are omnipresent, everything is measurable, including the number of steps we make, the amount of water we drink daily or even one's level of happiness. Self-quantification inhabits everyday practices. It becomes a game in which our body is envisioned as a set of numbers and charts that suppose to coach us towards a "better life".
Self-quantification is at the origin of forms of body representations that blur the boundaries between what is considered to be direct social control (measuring and quantification) and other forms of spectacle where bodies are constrained in aesthetic modeled forms and visualised as charts.
This project was launched within the Brussels' women and free software group Samedies to explore the differences between community health support groups and commercial social networks organised by the corporations that develop self tracking applications. Participants in Samedies developed their own interfaces and tools and came up with a series of small games that propose a different approach, both feminist and collective.
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Dans un monde où les pratiques numériques sont omniprésentes, tout est mesurable, y compris le nombre de pas que nous faisons, la quantité d'eau que nous buvons chaque jour ou même notre niveau de bonheur. L'auto-quantification est fortement présente dans nos vies. Elle devient un jeu quotidien dans lequel nos corps sont envisagés comme des ensembles de chiffres et de graphiques, supposés de nous guider vers une «vie meilleure».
L'auto-quantification est à l'origine de formes de représentations corporelles qui brouillent les limites entre ce qui est habituellement considéré comme un contrôle social direct (mesure et quantification) et d'autres formes spectaculaires qui réduisent les corps aux formes esthétiques modélisées et les visualisent comme des graphiques.
Ce projet a été lancé au sein des Samedies, un groupe bruxellois autour des femmes et des logiciels libres, afin d'explorer les différences entre des groupes communautaires de soutien de la santé et les réseaux sociaux commerciaux mis en place par les entreprises qui développent des applications de suivi de soi. Les participantes aux Samedies ont développé leurs propres interfaces et outils et ont créé une série de petits jeux qui proposent une approche différente, à la fois féministe et collective.
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In een wereld waarin digitale praktijken overal aanwezig zijn, is alles meetbaar. ook het aantal stappen dat we dagelijks zetten, de hoeveelheid water die we drinken en zelfs ons geluksgevoel. Zelfmeetbaarheid wordt ingebed in alledaagse praktijken. Het is een game waarin ons lichaam gezien wordt als een set nummers en grafieken, die ons zouden moeten coachen naar een 'beter leven'.
Zelfmeetbaarheid geeft vorm aan lichaamsrepresentaties die de grenzen doen vervagen tussen wat aanzien wordt als directe sociale controle (meten en kwantificeren) en andere vormen van spektakel, die lichamen reduceren tot esthetisch gemodelleerde vormen, gevisualiseerd in grafieken.
Dit project ging van start binnen de Samedies, een Brusselse groep voor vrouwen en vrije software. Samen exploreerden ze de verschillen tussen zelfhulpgroepen gericht op gezondheid en de commerciële sociale netwerken, georganiseerd door bedrijven die zelftracking-apps ontwikkelen. De deelneemsters aan de Samedies ontwikkelden hun eigen interfaces en gereedschappen en presenteren een reeks kleine games die een andere benadering voorstellen: feministisch en collectief.
Research & development | Recherche & développement | Onderzoek en ontwikkeling: Samedies
Installation | Installatie : Natacha Roussel
QUANTIFY WHOLEHEARTEDLY is part of Constant_V, a series of small exhibitions with a view on Free, Libre and Open Source culture | fait partie de Constant_V, une série d'expositions à petite échelle qui offrent une perspective sur la culture Free, Libre et Open Source | maakt deel uit van Constant_V, een reeks kleinschalige tentoonstellingen die focussen op Free, Libre en Open Source cultuur.
With the support of | Avec le soutien de | Met de steun van: DICRéAM, Service public francophone bruxellois, Vlaamse Overheid, Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie, Dienst Nederlandstalige aangelegenheden Gemeente Sint-Gillis
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Old Versions
In a world where digital practices are omnipresent, everything is measurable, including the number of steps we make, how many glasses of water we drink each day or even what is one's level of happiness. Self quantification inhabits everyday practices, it becomes a daily game where our body is envisioned as a set of number and charts that are supposed to coach us towards a "better life".
Self-quantification engenders a new set of images, it is at the origin of forms of body representations that blur the boundaries between what is usually considered direct social control (measuring and quantification) and other forms of spectacle where bodies are constrained in aesthetic modeled forms and visualised as charts. The Cultural Grammar displayed in the process is efficiently disseminating neutral views of the body so that measuring everyday life unifies surveillance and propaganda aesthetics.
With the Brussels' women and free software group Samedies we wanted to understand the difference between community health support groups and commercial social networks put forward by the corporations that develop self tracking applications. Together we developed our own interfaces and tools and came up with a series of small games that propose a feminist and collective aesthetics for a different approach: Quantify Wholeheartedly.
In June and July you can experience some of this research at Constant_V. In the vitrine we will show specific images and gaming props, tryouts and experiences developed along the years. Please come and give us your feedback any time, or attend to specific workshops.
June 8th opening, quantify gaming and city walks.
June 17th Samedies open meeting presentation of Brussels women and free software group, and more.
July 12th City Walks and feminist self quantification
research and development done with Samedies women and free software group Brussels
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In a world where digital practices are omnipresent, everything is measureable, including everyday life, the number of steps we make, how many glasses of water we drink each day or even what is one's level of happiness. Self quantification inhabits daily practices, it becomes a daily game where our body is envisionned as a set of number and charts supposed to coach us towards a "better life".
Self quantification engenders a new set of images, it is at the origin of new forms of body representations that blur the boundaries between what is usually considered direct social control (measuring and quantifying) and an other forms of spectacle where bodies are constrained in aesthetic modeled forms, the perfect body is here visualised by a chart.The Cultural Grammar displayed in the process is highly efficient in disseminating neutral views of the body itself, as such, measuring everyday life is a process that unifies surveillance and propaganda aesthetics.
Therefore with the women and free software group of Brussels: Samedies, we wanted to understand the difference between community health support groups and commercial social networks put forward by the corporations that develop self tracking applications. We have been working in a subgroup to develop from a feminist perspective, our own interfaces and tools, and at the end we have come up with a series of small game that
propose a feminist and collective aesthetics for a diffferent approach: Quantify Wholeheartedly.
At Constant V this month you will be able to experience some of these reseach through the Vitrine itself you will be presented different specific images and gaming props developped along those years, different tryouts and experiences, please come and give us your feedback any time, or to attend specific workshops.
June 8th opening, quantify gaming and city walks.
June 17th Samedies open meeting presentation of Brussels women and free software group, and more.
July 12th City Walks and feminist self quantification
Installation by Natacha Roussel, research and development done with Samedies women and free software group Brussels