@ -1572,25 +1572,25 @@ Censoring”<br />
< strong > When:< / strong > October 2023< br / >
< strong > Where:< / strong > XPUB studio wall< br / >
< strong > Who:< / strong > myself< / p >
< p > Description: Some months ago my classmates and I received an email
with a questionnaire aimed at preparing us for the upcoming quality
assurance meeting within the school. Ada and I had a meeting, in an
empty white room with closed doors, with an external collaborator of the
university. The main request was to rate and answer the pre-formulated
questions covering issues about performance, different and multiple
topics related to the course, the teaching staff, the facilities, the
tools provided. The micro linguistic experiment of highlighting,
censoring and annotating this document aimed for an understanding of
what a quality assurance meeting is within an educational
institution.< / p >
< p > Reflections-Thoughts: This experiment was my first attempt to start
interrogating and observing the language and the structure of a
bureaucratic document. How these “desired” standards propagated through
text. What is the role of the student-client in these processes as an
esoteric gaze of control over the course and their teachers? My focus
was to locate and accumulate all the wording related to measurements,
rate, quantity, assessments, statistics. Highlighting the
disproportionate amount of metrics-related vocabulary was enough to
< p > < strong > < / strong >
received an email with a questionnaire aimed at preparing us for the
upcoming quality assurance meeting within the school. Ada and I had a
meeting, in an empty white room with closed doors, with an external
collaborator of the university. The main request was to rate and answer
the pre-formulated questions covering issues about performance,
different and multiple topics related to the course, the teaching staff,
the facilities, the tools provided. The micro linguistic experiment of
highlighting, censoring and annotating this document aimed for an
understanding of what a quality assurance meeting is within an
educational institution.< / p >
< p > < strong > < / strong >
attempt to start interrogating and observing the language and the
structure of a bureaucratic document. How these “desired” standards
propagated through text. What is the role of the student-client in these
processes as an esoteric gaze of control over the course and their
teachers? My focus was to locate and accumulate all the wording related
to measurements, rate, quantity, assessments, statistics. Highlighting
the disproportionate amount of metrics-related vocabulary was enough to
craft the narrative around this process.< / p >
< p > These ‘ ’
serving as a tool that blurs the distinction between discourse and
@ -1613,38 +1613,38 @@ Customs Enforcement”<br />
< strong > Where:< / strong > Leeszaal< sup > < span class = "margin-note" > Community
Library in Rotterdam West< / span > < / sup > < br / >
< strong > Who:< / strong > XPUB peers, tutors, friends, alumni< / p >
< p > Description: During the first public moment at Leeszaal, I decided to
embody and enact the traditional role of a bureaucrat in a graphic and
possibly absurd way performing a small “theatrical play”. I prepared a
3-page and a 1-page document incorporating bureaucratic-form aesthetics
and requesting applicants’
related to educational bureaucracy. People receiving an applicant number
at the entrance of Leeszaal, queuing to collect their documents from the
administration “office”, filling forms, waiting, receiving stamps,
giving fingerprints and signing, waiting again were the main compone nts
of this act.< / p >
< p > Reflections-Thoughts: Beyond the information gathered through my
bureaucratic-like questionnaires, the most crucial element of this
experiment was the understanding and highlighting of the hidden
performative elements that entrench these “rituals”. It was amazing
seeing the audience becoming instantly actors of the play enacting
willingly a administrative ritualistic scene. The provided context of
this “play” was a social library hosting a masters course public event
on graduation projects. I am wondering whether this asymphony between
the repetitive bureaucratic acts within the space of Leeszaal, where
such acts are not expected to be performed, evoked contradictory
feelings or thoughts. Over-identifying with a role was being
instrumentalized as an “interrogation” of one’ the
reproduction of social discourses, power, authority, hegemony.< / p >
< p > < strong > < / strong >
Leeszaal, I decided to embody and enact the traditional role of a
bureaucrat in a graphic and possibly absurd way performing a small
“theatrical play”. I prepared a 3-page and a 1-page document
incorporating bureaucratic-form aesthetics and requesting applicants’
fake data and their answers for questions related to educational
bureaucracy. People receiving an applicant number at the entrance of
Leeszaal, queuing to collect their documents from the administration
“office”, filling forms, waiting, receiving stamps, giving fingerpri nts
and signing, waiting again were the main components of this act.< / p >
< p > < strong > < / strong >
gathered through my bureaucratic-like questionnaires, the most crucial
element of this experiment was the understanding and highlighting of the
hidden performative elements that entrench these “rituals”. It was
amazing seeing the audience becoming instantly actors of the play
enacting willingly a administrative ritualistic scene. The provided
context of this “play” was a social library hosting a masters course
public event on graduation projects. I am wondering whether this
asymphony between the repetitive bureaucratic acts within the space of
Leeszaal, where such acts are not expected to be performed, evoked
contradictory feelings or thoughts. Over-identifying with a role was
being instrumentalized as an “interrogation” of one’
the reproduction of social discourses, power, authority, hegemony.< / p >
< figure >
< img src = "../images/../images/../aglaia/queue.jpg"
alt="Leeszaal West Rotterdam - November 2023 – to receive their documents and sign " />
alt="Leeszaal West Rotterdam - November 2023 – to receive their documents and sign. I was thinking of queues as a spatial oppressive tool used often by (bureaucratic) authorities. The naturalized image of bodies-in-a-line waiting for “something” to happen at “some point” under the public gaze in an efficiently defined area." />
< figcaption aria-hidden = "true" > Leeszaal West Rotterdam - November 2023 –
People queuing< sup > < span class = "margin-note" > I was thinking of queues as
a spatial oppressive tool used often by (bureaucratic) authorities. The
naturalized image of bodies-in-a-line waiting for “something” to happen
at “some point” under the public gaze in an efficiently defined
area.< / span > < / sup > to receive their documents and sign < / figcaption >
People queuing to receive their documents and sign. I was thinking of
queues as a spatial oppressive tool used often by (bureaucratic)
authorities. The naturalized image of bodies-in-a-line waiting for
“something” to happen at “some point” under the public gaze in an
efficiently defined area. < / figcaption >
< / figure >
< figure >
< img src = "../images/../images/../aglaia/mitsi.jpg"
@ -1657,16 +1657,16 @@ fill out during the Lesszaal event</figcaption>
< strong > When:< / strong > January 2024< br / >
< strong > Where:< / strong > XML – < br / >
< strong > Who:< / strong > Ada, Aglaia, Stephen, Joseph< / p >
< p > Description: This prototype is a collective passport reading session.
I asked my classmates to bring their passports or IDs and sitting in a
circular set up we attempted to “scan” our documents. Every contributor
took some time to browse, annotate verbally, interpret, understand,
analyze, vocalize their thoughts on these artifacts, approaching them
from various perspectives. The three passports and one ID card were all
coming from European countries.< / p >
< p > Reflections-Thoughts: For the first time I observed this object so
closely. The documentation medium was a recording device, Ada’
phone. The recording was transcribed by vosk< sup > < span
< p > < strong > < / strong >
reading session. I asked my classmates to bring their passports or IDs
and sitting in a circular set up we attempted to “scan” our documents.
Every contributor took some time to browse, annotate verbally,
interpret, understand, analyze, vocalize their thoughts on these
artifacts, approaching them from various perspectives. The three
passports and one ID card were all coming from European countries.< / p >
< p > < strong > < / strong >
this object so closely. The documentation medium was a recording device,
Ada’ phone. The recording was transcribed by vosk< sup > < span
class="margin-note">Vosk is an offline open-source speech recognition
toolkit.< / span > < / sup > and myself and a small booklet of our passport
readings was created.< / p >
@ -1700,14 +1700,14 @@ transcription of the passport readings session</figcaption>
< strong > When:< / strong > February 2024< br / >
< strong > Where:< / strong > Room in Wijnhaven Building, 4th floor< br / >
< strong > Who:< / strong > XPUB 1,2,3, tutors, Leslie< / p >
< p > Description: This scenario is the first part of a series of small
episodes that construct a bureaucratic story unfolding the processes of
my communication with the government. The body of the text of the
“theatrical” script is sourced from the original documents as well as
recordings of the conversation I had with the municipality throughout
this process. I preserved the sequence of the given sentences and by
discarding the graphic design of the initial form, I structured and
repurposed the text into a scenario. The main actors were two
< p > < strong > < / strong >
series of small episodes that construct a bureaucratic story unfolding
the processes of my communication with the government. The body of the
text of the “theatrical” script is sourced from the original documents
as well as recordings of the conversation I had with the municipality
throughout this process. I preserved the sequence of the given sentences
and by discarding the graphic design of the initial form, I structured
and repurposed the text into a scenario. The main actors were two
bureaucrats vocalizing the questions addressed in the form, in turns and
sometimes speaking simultaneously like a choir, three applicants
answering the questions similarly while a narrator mainly provided the
@ -1722,17 +1722,17 @@ standing still behind them while they were surrounded by the audience.
The main documentation media of the act were a camera on a tripod, a
recorder in the middle of the table and myself reconstructing the memory
of the re-enactement at that present - 6 days later.< / p >
< p > Reflections-Thoughts: Vocalizing and embodying the bureaucratic
questions was quite useful in acknowledging the government’
presence as something tangible rather than a floating, arbitrary entity.
It was interesting observing the bureaucrats performing their role with
confidence and entitlement, contrasting with the applicants who appeared
to be more stressed to respond convincingly and promptly. There is a
notable distinction between performativity and performance. Performing
consciously and theatrically amplifying real bureaucratic texts by
occupying roles and overidentifying with them can constitute a
diffractive moment, a tool itself. From bureaucratic text to
performative text scenarios to speech. The embedded (but rather
< p > < strong > < / strong >
bureaucratic questions was quite useful in acknowledging the
government’ presence as something tangible rather than a
floating, arbitrary entity. It was interesting observing the bureaucrats
performing their role with confidence and entitlement, contrasting with
the applicants who appeared to be more stressed to respond convincingly
and promptly. There is a notable distinction between performativity and
performance. Performing consciously and theatrically amplifying real
bureaucratic texts by occupying roles and overidentifying with them can
constitute a diffractive moment, a tool itself. From bureaucratic text
to performative text scenarios to speech. The embedded (but rather
unconscious) performativity of “real” bureaucratic rituals establishes
and empowers (bureaucratic) institutions through repetitive acts. These
theatrical moments attempt to highlight the shrouded performative
@ -2876,7 +2876,7 @@ working on storytelling of collective traumas”</figcaption>
< section id = "section-9" class = "section" >
< h1 id = "section" > ⊞< / h1 >
< h 3 id = "empty-title" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< p > Stephen Kerr< / p >
< p > ⊞< / p >
< p > Thesis submitted to the Department of Experimental Publishing, Piet
@ -2941,7 +2941,7 @@ The Po Valley, The Roman Empire, 268 BCE.
< figcaption aria-hidden = "true" > Monogram, Piet Zwart,
c. < / figcaption >
< / figure >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-1" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h4 id = "introduction" > Introduction< / h4 >
< p > This document is a collection of fragments exploring beliefs about
labour in the creative industries, in particular graphic ⊞. Each
@ -2990,7 +2990,6 @@ than last week when there was no work. ⊞ers look at their phone and see
their alarm is going to go off in ten minutes, so they switch it off and
get up.< / em > < / li >
< / ol >
< h3 id = "empty-title-2" > empty title< / h3 >
< p > The precarity of working in the creative industries, in particular as
a freelancer or within a small studio, induces anxiety. There is a
belief that the ⊞er as freelancer is empowered by their autonomy, but in
@ -3089,7 +3088,7 @@ recipient of the Catherine Donnelly Lifetime Achievement Award for his
contribution to ⊞ in Ireland and is the Course Director of ⊞ West, an
international summer ⊞ school located in the beautiful village of
Letterfrack on the West Coast of Ireland< / em > . (⊞west.eu, 2023)< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-3" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< ul >
< li > SK: What do you think is the best shape?< / li >
< li > CC: Oh yeah, good god. square.< / li >
@ -3187,7 +3186,7 @@ postcard.”</li>
< li > Description of Steve McCaffrey’ < em > CARNIVAL< / em > < br / >
(The Idea of the Book, 2024)< / li >
< / ul >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-4" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< p > The developments of the written word and its relationship to form in
the 20th century is very much a part of the history of ⊞. I care about
this story because it affects contemporary practitioners. I believe
@ -3202,7 +3201,7 @@ assigning or finding meanings in ⊞</h4>
< p > This autoethnographic annotation attempts to really miss as many
cultural and technical cues as possible. It’
being totally mystified by their behaviour. < / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-5" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< ol type = "1" >
< li > < em > A rhythm exists and I wonder why. There is music and there are
voices, and my fingers press the keys and the colours of the screen
@ -3261,7 +3260,7 @@ catalogues. ⊞ is just work, chill. Is a ⊞er a user or a server? Maybe ⊞
is an example of our general belief in this dichotomy not quite making
sense or fitting reality. The ⊞er is working for whom? Themselves? Their
clients?< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-6" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< ul >
< li > < em > “< / em > attempts to undo the privileged position of the agentive
subject can help us understand the strange status of repetitive and
@ -3409,7 +3408,7 @@ misplaced and there is a human urge to stop, just
and as soon as we feel ourselves becoming ridiculous”< / li >
< li > Adolf Loos, < em > On Thrift,< / em > 1924 (Loos, 2019)< / li >
< / ul >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-7" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< p > Adolf Loos was a modernist architect whose writings such as
< em > Ornament and Crime< / em > in 1910 influenced modernist ideals of
functionalism and minimalism. He rejected ornament and favoured the use
@ -3467,7 +3466,7 @@ inherited from a wider cultural belief of the same general drive: to
order and simplify. Humans try to make sense of the world. ⊞ers make
sense of ⊞ briefs and structure them into something understandable to an
audience or target market. < / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-8" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< ul >
< li > ◱: for fucks sake why don’ < / li >
< / ul >
@ -3493,7 +3492,7 @@ even more outrageous than what we assumed of the beer fans, or the beer
fans were in fact taking their own conference seriously? As both seem
unbelievable the true funniness of the joke hits home in it’
meaning: ⊞ers are boring as fuck.< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-9" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h4
id="an-annotation-of-my-practices-as-a-graphic-er-on-a-typical-working-day-23rd-october-2023">An
annotation of my practices as a graphic ⊞er on a typical working day,
@ -3506,7 +3505,7 @@ annotation of my practices as a graphic ⊞er on a typical working day,
ctrl v ctrl c ctrl v ctrl c ctrl v ctrl c ctrl v ctrl v ctrl v ctrl v
ctrl v ctrl v ctrl v< / em > < / li >
< / ol >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-10" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< p > ⊞ers interact with the computer through keyboard and mouse usage.
Compared to other computer users, my interaction involves lots of
pressing of function keys, something common with other technical
@ -3610,7 +3609,7 @@ proprietary font. There is a visual difference between these fonts too
which is also relevant buuuuut this description is getting very detailed
maybe not right now.< / em > < / li >
< / ol >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-11" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< p > Similarly to the software changes, this documentation of my practice
sees me choosing open source fonts. I’
do like the idea of being able to modify a font when needed, but I have
@ -3644,7 +3643,7 @@ beliefs around copyright? Do ⊞ers believe in intellectual property? What
value do ⊞ers, specifically typographers, see in their work and that of
their close peers, the font ⊞ers, and how does copyright relate to these
values?< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-12" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h4 id = "follow-up-questions-for-conor" > Follow up questions for
Conor< / h4 >
< p > Hey Conor, hope you’ ’
@ -3663,7 +3662,7 @@ field like graphic ⊞? Curious to know what you think.</p>
totally fine with anonymising, removing, or editing. < / p >
< p > Thanks,< br / >
Stephen< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-13" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h4 id = "follow-up-questions-for" > Follow up questions for ◱< / h4 >
< p > Yo ◱, hope all’ < / p >
< p > I’ ’
@ -3687,7 +3686,7 @@ way, or maybe it’ ’
totally fine with anonymising, removing, or editing.< / p >
< p > Thanks,< br / >
Stephen< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-14" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h4 id = "follow-up-questions-for-1" > Follow up questions for ◳< / h4 >
< p > Hey ◳, hope youre good! < / p >
< p > I’
@ -3733,7 +3732,7 @@ thinking” (Brodine, 1990) or “⊞er without qualities” (Lorusso, 2023).
The fragments have been situated and subjective rather than objective,
they have been outside of categories because the categories are broken
anyway. < / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-15" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h4 id = "conclusion-1" > Conclusion< / h4 >
< p > Last night I dreamt I was standing on a hill in the Swiss Alps and
you were there and all of our friends and the hill was covered in little
@ -3758,9 +3757,9 @@ surfboards were Quiksilver and some they had built themselves from a git
repository but the sun was a walnut and it was definitely moving but I
couldnt tell was it rising or setting but it didn’
surf was great and everything smelled like magnolias.< / p >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-16" > empty title< / h3 >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-17" > empty title< / h3 >
< h 3 id = "empty-title-18" > empty title< / h3 >
< h r / >
< h r / >
< h r / >
< h4 id = "acknowledgements" > Acknowledgements< / h4 >
< p > Thanks to Ada, Aglaia, Ben, Chae, Conor, Irmak, Jenny, Joseph, kamo,
Leslie, Manetta, Marloes, Michael, Rossi.< / p >
