Floating Spheres
Floating Spheres are spaces to discuss some of the main challenges and problems affecting the generations of the early twenty-first century; and to explore how these issues are inspiring a new generation of artists and authors.
Subject 1: To Avoid the Unavoidable
(#toavoidtheunavoidable, #evitarloinevitable)
The first round of this game presents an initiative under the hashtag #toavoidtheunavoidable (and in Spanish: #evitarloinevitable), which is born out of the frustration of common citizens as they feel overpowered by the inertia of a spiral of decadence. It is, therefore, a call to any and all voices coming from civil society: from the realms of the arts, journalism, activism and/or education, who may wish to join this conversation: to share their fears and propose possible solutions to avoid an existential crisis that, at the moment, seems to be unavoidable.
The conversation that this project proposes contemplates two stages. In the first one, the aim is to create and consolidate a journal of the fears and nightmares provoked by the reality of the early twenty-twenties (and how they reflect on the collective unconscious). Therefore, it could be described as an archive of local dystopias.
This effort will help to expose and promote new voices coming from civil society: the arts, journalism, the academy, etc. Hence, it will lead to the second stage, which aim is to gather and debate possible solutions to the dystopias identified during the fist stage.
For examples related to the first topic/conversation, readers are invited to scroll down and visit the links presented below:
Example 1
Local Dystopia No. 1
(1A) Needles from the Hay (short story)
“Those who know me, know how much I hate making grandiloquent statements. Hoever, for clarity’s sake, I must state how I have managed to extract the better angels in our human nature and infuse them in the MetAlgorithm.”
With these words, Professor Tobias Clausen (allegedly) introduced the video-recorded message in which he presented the last and greatest achievement in (strictly) human technology.
As a hypothetical reader from the future would probably know, the BIBO began sometime between 11:58 pm and 12:01 am (Moscow time) on the 31st of December/1st of January 2099/2100. Apart from the BIBO (and because of the BIBO) there is not one record from the twenty-first century that may be properly classified as certain knowledge. We have, on the other hand, the reality of our wonderful machinery: which allows us to live in what our early-modern ancestors would call a technological utopia.
(1A) Agujas del pajar (cuento)
‘Quienes me conocen saben cuánto me molesta hacer comentarios grandilocuentes, como el que viene a continuación, pero en aras de ofrecer algo de claridad, debo decir que he logrado extraer los mejores ángeles de nuestra naturaleza humana e infundirlos en el MetAlgoritmo. Ese es mi regalo de despedida para la especie.’
Con estas palabras, el profesor Tobias Clausen (supuestamente) introdujo el video-mensaje en el que presentó el último y más grandioso avance en tecnología (estrictamente) humana.
Un hipotético lector del futuro seguramente sabrá que el BIBO ocurrió entre las 11:57pm y las 12:01 am (hora de Moscú), entre el 31 de diciembre y el primero de enero de 2099/2100. Además del BIBO (y como consecuencia del BIBO) no hay ningún registro del Siglo XXI que pueda ser clasificado como un hecho cierto.
Tenemos, por otro lado, la realidad de nuestra Maravillosa Maquinaria: la cual nos permite vivir en lo que nuestros ancestros de la edad moderna llamarían una utopía tecnológica.
Solution Proposal No. 1
For those who would like to share their works/ideas: you may do so through the following form. If filling the form, please remember to include links to websites/blogs/social media outlets with samples of the work; or if you prefer to send and attachment, you may do so by sending a direct email to: info@urbanartgames.com
The Conversation
Floating Spheres is conceived as an ongoing project that aims to organise periodical events, to share the stories / artworks gathered around the subject at hand and involve local businesses and institutions. This, in turn, allows the UAG to combine, and thus drive the parallel development, of this game and The Mythologies of my Local.
The date for the first conversation around Subject No. 1 (#toavoidtheunavoidable), which shall be organised in partnership with El Tarro, Sonido and Trippy Taco, is soon to be defined.
