The rapid digitalization of everyday life and society raises many questions: "How human can robots be?", "Smart City – what is (still) science fiction and what is already reality?" and "Is our reality distorted by social media?" – these and other questions were posed by trainees from the Louise-Schroeder-School in the seminar "Human, Machine, Possibilities. Living and Working in a Smart World" from March 11th to 15th, 2019 at the wannseeFORUM.
In the four workshop groups – Staged Reading, Maker Workshop, Black and White Photography and Multimedia – they worked with different media on various content focuses.
What distinguishes humans from machines? How close, distant, or merged are they, and could they be in the future? The workshop group " Inszenierte Lesung" ( questions in a performance for guests entitled "Son sei kan – Gefühl einer Präsenz" (Son sei kan – Feeling of a Presence). Some of the texts can be read here.
What does a smart city look like today and what will it look like in the future? Is data privacy even possible within it? Does it offer new opportunities, for example, for sustainable living? These questions were explored, discussed, and creatively produced in the maker workshop . To develop their ideas and concepts on these issues, participants programmed small circuit boards like Calliope and Makey Makey and built their own smart objects, which they presented in a final exhibition. Visitors could interactively try out a poster, a city model, and a quiz game, and share their experiences with the workshop group, experiencing maker spaces as new venues for education about digitalization. Photos from the workshop and presentation can be viewed on Flickr.
Please note that by clicking on the image linked to Flickr and the image caption, data will be transmitted to Flickr; see privacy policy.
In our already ubiquitous digital space, the question of whether images create their own realities has long been a central concern. How do people read images, and how do machines read them? This initial question sparked discussions in the black and white photography workshop groupabout image-influencing algorithms and how we deal with them – for example, through filters automatically applied to selfies by machines or chosen by people themselves. What does beauty still mean in this context? What becomes a flaw? In self-conceived photographic series, the participants explored their perspectives using analog photography. Through developing film and making prints in the analog darkroom, the question of uniqueness and authenticity amidst the flood of digital images also became a central theme. The final exhibition showcased diverse viewpoints on this topic. Photographs of the exhibition are also available here as a collected PDF.
"Is our reality distorted by social media?" the Multimedia workshop groupthis question. They satirically explore this question in their video "Wannseeschau," a 2021 news broadcast packed with #funfacts about Instagram and other platforms. The video addresses our relationship with social media and what's truly important – for example, the content of a picture or the right lighting? What's relevant in an interview? Answers to socio-political questions or the perfect #interior?
Links to watch the video: Please note that by clicking on the image linked to Vimeo and the image caption, data will be transmitted to Vimeo; see privacy policy.
Impressions from all workshops and joint seminar phases provide further insights into the seminar "Man, Machine, Possibilities".
Links: Please note that by clicking on the image linked to Flickr and the image caption, data will be transmitted to Flickr; see privacy policy.
The seminar took place as part of the collaboration within the "Political Youth Education in the AdB" , specifically within the "Digital Media and Democracy" project group.
The wannseeFORUM Foundation is a recognized partner of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
All photos on this page: (c) Andi Weiland | www.andiweiland.de