In this seminar we will continue our work from the previous semester exploring the digitization and datafication of nature and natural history. Based on our collective investigations of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) we will let loose our “digital pets” in a more methodical manner. The aim is to gather empirical materials and analyze these with a view to contributing to current debates on “datafication” (incl. data ideologies, data sovereignty, data colonialism, data politics etc.) as well as to inventive methods for infrastructure and museum studies. Further, we will familiarize ourselves with multimodal methods of representing and mediating our materials and findings through workshops with practitioners (designers, artists etc.). The final results will be presented in the context of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
Format: Zoom
Didactic method: Students are expected to collect and collate materials on their “digital pets” throughout the semester. The seminar will have two strands. In intensive weekly sessions (180min), groups of 2-3 students will present a datafication-relevant concept (using literature from the previous seminar as well as new texts), which is followed by a group discussion reflecting the concept through and with the collected materials. The second strand will focus on the practical processing of materials and research and will consist of workshops (block seminars) that are in parts delivered by practitioners.
Collaborative work infrastructure: tbc |
