Friday lunchtime lecture: Unfamiliar topologies

Are physical and data infrastructures distinct? In this talk, Georgina Voss and Wesley Goatley present and discuss their infrastructure data artwork “Familiars”, which directly intercepted logistical radio signals broadcast by planes, ships, and trains, highlighting the material aspects of data infrastructures. In unpacking the research and development behind “Familiars”, they explore how access to forms of “open” data is mediated and who this data is really intended for. While the UK government is currently investing in the “best” ways to plan, create, and fund vital infrastructure projects, they argue that engaging with crucial questions around control, ownership and access to data requires an understanding of their physical components and context. Wesley Goatley is an artist and researcher. Georgina Voss is a technology anthropologist, writer, and co-founder of research co-operative “Strange Telemetry”.