Adam Bencard
V2_ , the Institute for the Unstable Media is, in their own words
an interdisciplinary center for art and media technology in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). V2_’s activities include organizing presentations, exhibitions and workshops, research and development of artworks in its own media lab, distributing artworks through its Agency, publishing in the field of art and media technology, and developing an online archive.
They just released an e-book called The Era of Objects (the pdf of the book is here) which contains some fascinating and surreal attempts at ‘futurescaping’, mapping out “a heterogenous topography of unevenly-distributed futurity; infinitely extendible; punctuated with features and landmarks.” It draws on everything from ANT to design theory to science fiction – even Bruce Sterling appears with an essay in the anthology. Well worth the read for anyone interested in materiality studies – and also very symptomatic for the sense in which we are finding ourselves to be waking up inside an object.
