»Rethinking Affordance«

Experimental work by artists and designers has always played a key role in shaping our understanding of the possible uses and functions of new and emerging technologies – in other words, of their scientific, industrial, commercial, or rhetorical »affordances.« Rethinking Affordance, consisting of a symposium, an exhibition, and an academic publication, explores the critical significance of »affordance« in digital contexts and areas including media art, media theory, film, art history, and cultural theory.

The concept of »affordance« originates from perceptual and cognitive psychology, where it has been used to indicate the uses and functions materially inscribed in physical objects or environments. An object’s affordances were thus assumed to describe its phenomenological qualities, signaling the object’s possible functions, and telling us about potentials and limits of usability. Classic examples include door handles, tea cups, or stairs – objects whose functions could presumably be grasped even by those who have never used them before. But how relevant are such traditional perspectives in contemporary digital contexts, such as human-computer interaction or interface design?

Focusing on the experimental work of digital artists, designers, and theorists, Rethinking Affordance explores what conceptual reconfigurations may be required so that we can better grasp the critical, political, and aesthetic affordances of new and emerging technologies.

The symposium takes place within the art, science & business program at Akademie Schloss Solitude. The event will be held in English. Admission is free.

Per diem meal allowance incl. lunch, dinner, coffee, and beverages: 20 euros/10 euros for students.

Please register until June 4, 2018 via email to: Emily Knoll, [email protected], Tel. +49 (0)711 99 619 482

Find more detailed information on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1677240185685650/

And on the website of the Akademie Schloss Solitude: