Making Trans*lucent: En/Countering Categorization

In this performative lecture we will explore how our embodiments can melt categories, matters, and en/counter algorithmic and other classifications. Through melting, making trans*lucent and sharing we aim to warmly critique current modes of governance. Exploring the political dimension of classification as it interacts with trans*gender and GNC bodies, our contribution will uphold artists, designers and coders working on computational objects, games and methodologies that make power relations leaky and categories permeable. We will look at leaking and permeability, not opposed to, but as core practices embedded into computation, and play with distributed agencies and actants within the room. Remembering that tech is embedded and embodied our presentation will turn towards the material discursive entanglements that are shyed away from in popular representations of tech as disembodied, and focus our attention towards those already performing the otherwise.

Loren Britton is an interdisciplinary artist, thinker and curator based in-between Berlin, DE and New York City, US. They are concerned with on/offline, trans*gender people, class, how to communicate and intersectional trans*feminism. They investigate things by reading, holding, playing, and translating to cross, disciplinary and class borders. Further info about their work can be found at lorenbritton.com.

Isabel Paehr is involved in the production and arrangement of virtual matter. She develops experimental games and material speculations, performs, writes and codes in collaborative working groups. Paehr is 1/2 of the Berlin based game studio Topicbird. More info at isabelpaehr.com/projects

In their collaborative practice, Loren and Isabel research melting and tech infrastructures through material experiments.

For further information see DGTL FMNSM.