On-Going Projects – Artistic techniques for archiving life in the age of information overflow
In the times of easily accessible technology, pervasive tracking applications and widely available digital storage systems, whether voluntarily or not, millions of people turn into micro-archivists of their everyday life. We seem to be moving away from the idea of a singular, static archive; a state-controlled linearly woven repository guarding the only one, correct historical narrative. On one hand, given the enormous capacities of personalized cross media technologies that can capture ever-growing amounts and types of personal data, we are all potential storytellers. But on the other hand, due to these very technologies, our lives become exposed and transparent in a way that they have never been before; our personal data becomes subject to mechanisms way beyond our control.
This presentation focuses on my life-long initiative called On-Going Projects. It is a set of personally crafted, media practices aiming to document my presence in relation to human and non-human environments that I find myself in. While giving some insights into the project and describing my way of deploying tracking and recording technologies, I will attempt to open and address a wider question regarding poetics and politics of personal archiving in the age of capture-all culture.
Bio:
Jacek Smolicki is an artist, designer and researcher currently undertaking PhD studies at the School of Arts and Communication at Malmö University in Sweden. In his research Smolicki explores recording practices conducted by individuals who creatively, subversively and reflectively deploy recording technolo-gies to construct personal and site-specific archives. His interest encompasses practices of sousveillance, lifelogging and field recording studied in the context of the changing nature of the archive. Since 2009 Smolicki himself has been conducting a number of self-tracking practices utilizing variety of available recording media technologies (www.on-going.net).
Smolicki holds his master degrees from the Design Department of Krakow Art Academy, Interdisciplinary Studies at Konstfack University of Arts, Craft and Design as well as Sound Art from Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. He actively engages in exhibiting, conducting workshops and leading seminars (e.g Madrid, Budapest, Krakow and Stockholm). More info: www.smolicki.com
