Changing Culture: Cultures of Change

Changing Cultures: Cultures of Change 10-12 December 2009University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainAcross disciplines, topological or intensive approaches to the study of culture treat change as normal and immanent rather than exceptional and externally determined.In these approaches, cultures are defined by the possibilities they offer for change rather than by their size, location or essence. These approaches thus provide a set of tools and concepts to think about different levels and kinds of change – learning, transmission, innovation, adaptation, self-organisation and evolution.This conference asks: what is the potential of topological and other intensive approaches to culture and space for thinking about change?Plenary speakers who have confirmed so far include: Rosi Braidotti, Manuel DeLanda, J. Doyne Farmer, Matthew Fuller, Alex Galloway, Penny Harvey, Scott Lash, Richard Rogers, Luc Steels, Eyal Weizmann.Participants are invited to explore these questions in relation to four broad areas of cultural change, though other domains are not excluded:Media – networks, digital methods, interface, algorithm, ubiquity, emergency, trash and spam, identification, communication and interactionMarkets – models, probability, crisis, performance, devices, cultures of quantification, noise, financialization.Migration – movement, state spaces and spaces of passibility, lines and borders, flows, blocks and stoppagesMind – consciousness, language, the human, imitation and evolution.There will be special events from graduate students, and for industry and policymakers. Further information about these will be announced here in due course.WEB: http://www.atacd.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=40