[spectre] Fwd: Quaero Forum - politics of the search engine, 29-30 Sept 2007

Andreas Broeckmann ab at tesla-berlin.de
Sat Sep 15 11:52:06 CEST 2007


Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:32:08 +0200
From: "Tsila Hassine" <tsila.hassine at gmail.com>
To: ab at tesla-berlin.de
Subject: Quaero Forum announcement


Forum on Quaero
A public think tank on the politics of the search engine
Saturday 29 - Sunday 30 September 2007

Book tickets now anne.vangronsveld at janvaneyck.nl

Florian Cramer, Jodi Dean, Frédéric Martel, 
Ingmar Weber, Isabelle Stengers, Bureau d'Études, 
Metahaven, Tsila Hassine, Open Search, Michael 
Zimmer, Richard Rogers, Florian Schneider, 
Maurits de Bruijn, Sabine Niederer, André 
Nusselder

Quaero: isn't that the search engine that former 
French president Jacques Chirac declared to be 
the European challenge to Google? A public 
alternative to Silicon Valley-born commercial 
search engines, funded by the French state, in 
service of the public good, in the true tradition 
of the grand projet? An information machine 
capable of reclaiming European language and 
intellectual heritage in the age of globalization?
No. Quaero is the name of a consortium of 
technology firms and research labs working 
together on multimedia and web search projects. 
It is a state-sponsored effort to stimulate 
private French technological competitiveness.
But still, the issues that the idea of Quaero has 
raised - since its public launch by the former 
French president - constitute a formidable 
challenge. Internet search engines are political 
projects proper if only because they give and 
take power; they represent science, technology, 
(trans)national politics, private enterprise, 
culture, territoriality and language in ever 
different combinations.

On 29 and 30 September 2007, the Jan van Eyck 
Academie, in collaboration with the Maison 
Descartes, Institut Français des Pays-Bas, 
organizes the Forum on Quaero, taking the concept 
of the search engine as a pubic project as a 
starting point.
Search engines' indexation methods inevitably 
lead to moments of inclusion and exclusion 
(sometimes by hands-on censorship). Search 
engines closely monitor their users' behaviour 
and offer additional services, retrieving and 
storing increasing amounts of private information 
from them. The majority of web search is carried 
out through only a few, very large corporate 
search engines which communicate ideas about 
their role in the world via their brand 
identities. These may lead to distorted 
impressions of what the commercial search engine 
as a institution really entails. This conference 
aims to bridge the gap between politics, policies 
and practices in the field of web search. Some 
questions:
* What are the politics of the structure and 
image of search engines and their technologies?
* To what extent have search engines like Google, 
which started from the ideal of access to 
information, become the modus operandi of 
political bias? Can we envisage scenarios for the 
search engine as a public domain institution?
* What kind of hierarchy (if any) should be 
implemented when deciding what should go into a 
search engine's database, and what is left out?
* Can contemporary web practices tackle the 
conventional static models used to archive and 
present (institutional) concepts of cultural 
heritage and democracy?
* Collaborative and participatory methods are 
increasingly placing the Demos as the force that 
structures information. Can we work towards a 
'politics of code & categorization' that allows 
plural interpretations of data to coexist and 
enrich each other?
* How can concepts of digital and networked 
European cultural heritage reflect the political 
and social issues related to Europe's changing 
borders?
The Forum encourages and facilitates audience 
participation; it is meant as a public think 
tank, a live sketchbook around new questions for 
the search engine.

Programme

Saturday 29 September
Moderator: Florian Cramer

11:00 > 11:10 Welcome by Florian Cramer
11:10 > 11:15 Intro
11:15 > 11:45 Michael Zimmer
12:15 > 12:45 Florian Schneider

12:50 > 13:50 Lunch

13:50 > 14:35 Metahaven
14:40 > 15:00 Tsila Hassine
15:05 > 15:35 Ingmar Weber

15:35 > 16:00 Break

16:30 > 17:10 Respondents: Isabelle Stengers, 
Maurits de Bruijn, Sabine Niederer, André 
Nusselder
17:10 > 18:30 Forum Part One
Round Table with all speakers, respondents and 
audience, moderated by Florian Cramer

18.30 >  Drinks and dinner

Sunday 30 September
Moderator: Florian Schneider

10:00 > 10:10 Welcome by Florian Schneider
10:10 > 10:15 Intro
10:15 > 10:45 Bureau d'Études
10:50 > 11:20 Frédéric Martel
11:25 > 11:55 Richard Rogers

12:00  > 13:00 Lunch

13:00 > 13:30 Florian Cramer
13:35 > 14:05 Open Search
14:10 > 14:40 Jodi Dean

14:45 > 15:15 Break

15:15 > 15:55 Respondents: Isabelle Stengers, 
Maurits de Bruijn, Sabine Niederer, André 
Nusselder
15:55 > 17:30 Forum Part Two
Round Table with all speakers, respondents and 
audience, moderated by Florian Schneider

17:30 Drinks - End

Admission
EUR 25 for 2 days, including lunch, dinner, drinks and publication.
Registration
By e-mail to Anne Vangronsveld: anne.vangronsveld at janvaneyck.nl
Payments
SNS Bank, account no.: 858 2324 05
Stichting Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht
IBAN: NL64 SNSB 0858 2324 05
BIC: SNSB NL 2A
Please put FORUMONQUAERO on your payment.
To be sure of a seat, we kindly ask you to submit 
your payment before 27 September 2007.

Additional programme information, press information
e-mail Metahaven Design Research: office at metahaven.net
phone: +31 (0)6 24276797 / +31 (0)6 48316543

  Speakers' biographies in alphabetical order

  M a u r i t s   d e   B r u i j n   ( r e s p o 
n d e n t )   i s   a   g r a p h i c   d e s i g 
n e r   w o r k i n g   o n   a   v a r i e t y 
o f   w e b   c o n c e p t s ,   w h i c h   c o 
m b i n e   d i s t i n c t   v i s u a l   i d e 
n t i t i e s   w i t h   a n   e x p e r i m e n 
t a l   s c r i p t i n g   a n d   e n g i n e e 
r i n g   a r c h i t e c t u r e .   D e   B r u 
i j n   c r i t i c i z e s   t h e   c o n s e q 
u e n c e s   t h a t   m a j o r   s e a r c h 
e n g i n e s   a n d   t h e i r   i n d e x i n 
g   m e c h a n i s m s   f o r c e   o n   t h e 
s c r i p t i n g   a r c h i t e c t u r e   o f 
w e b   s i t e s .   D e   B r u i j n   t e a c 
h e s   i n f o r m a t i o n   d e s i g n   a n 
d   i n t e r f a c e   d e s i g n   a t   A r t 
E Z   I n s t i t u t e   o f   t h e   A r t s 
i n   A r n h e m . 

  B u r e a u   d'Ét u d e s   ( s p e a k e r ) 
i s   a   P a r i s - b a s e d   m e d i a   c o 
l l e c t i v e   f o u n d e d   i n   1 9 9 8 , 
c o m p r i s i n g   t h e   a r t i s t   d u o 
L é o n o r e   B o n a c c i n i   a n d   X a v 
i e r   F o u r t .   U s i n g   c o m p l e x 
g r a p h i c   t a b l e s   c o n c e i v e d 
f o r   t h e   i n t e r n e t ,   t h e y   m a 
p   v a r i o u s   h i d d e n   g l o b a l   s 
t r u c t u r e s   o f   f i n a n c e   a n d 
w o r l d   g o v e r n a n c e ,   f o r m a l i 
s i n g   p a t t e r n s   a n d   c o n n e c t 
i o n s   t h r o u g h   s c i e n t i f i c   a 
n d   i n f o r m a t i o n a l   e x a c t i t u 
d e .

  F l o r i a n   C r a m e r   ( s p e a k e r , 
m o d e r a t o r )   i s   M e d i a   D e s i g 
n   c o u r s e   d i r e c t o r   o f   t h e 
P i e t   Z w a r t   I n s t i t u t e .   H e 
w a s   j u n i o r   l e c t u r e r   i n   C o 
m p a r a t i v e   L i t e r a t u r e   a t   F 
r e i e   U n i v e r s i t ” t   B e r l i n . 
C r a m e r   h a s   p u b l i s h e d   p a p e 
r s   i n   t h e   f i e l d s   o f   c o d e 
p o e t r y ,   c o m p a r a t i v e   s t u d i 
e s   i n   t h e   l i t e r a t u r e   a n d 
t h e   a r t s ,   m o d e r n i s m ,   t e x t 
t h e o r y ,   l i t e r a t u r e   a n d   c o 
m p u t i n g ;   h e   c o l l a b o r a t e d 
o n   t h e    w w w . r u n m e . o r g   S o f 
t w a r e   A r t   r e p o s i t o r y   a n d 
e d i t e d   t h e   U n s t a b l e   D i g e s 
t   o f   c o d e   p o e t r y .   H i s   G e r 
m a n   P h D   t h e s i s   i s   c a l l e d   
E x e . c u t [ u p ] a b l e   S t a t e m e n t 
s . 

  J o d i   D e a n   ( s p e a k e r )   i s   P 
r o f e s s o r   o f   P o l i t i c a l   S c i 
e n c e   a t   H o b a r t   a n d   W i l l i a 
m   S m i t h   C o l l e g e s   i n   G e n e v 
a ,   N e w   Y o r k .   S h e   h a s   a u t h 
o r e d   o r   e d i t e d   8   b o o k s ,   i 
n c l u d i n g   P u b l i c i t y's   S e c r e 
t :   H o w   t e c h n o c u l t u r e   c a p i 
t a l i z e s   o n   d e m o c r a c y   ( 2 0 0 
2 )   a n d   Z i z e k' s   P o l i t i c s   ( 
2 0 0 6 ) .

  T s i l a   H a s s i n e   ( s p e a k e r ) 
i s   a   m e d i a   a r t i s t   a n d   w e b 
p r o g r a m m e r .   S h e   c o m p l e t e d 
B S c s   i n   M a t h e m a t i c s   a n d   C 
o m p u t e r   S c i e n c e   a n d   s p e n t 
2 0 0 3   a t   t h e   N e w   M e d i a   d e p 
a r t m e n t   o f   t h e   H G K   Z ü r i c h 
.   I n   2 0 0 4   s h e   j o i n e d   t h e 
P i e t   Z w a r t   I n s t i t u t e   i n   R 
o t t e r d a m ,   w h e r e   s h e   p u r s u 
e d   a n   M A   i n   M e d i a   D e s i g n , 
u n t i l   g r a d u a t i n g   i n   J u n e 
2 0 0 6   w i t h   G o o g l e   r a n d o m i z 
e r   S m o o g l e .   H a s s i n e   i s   a 
r e s e a r c h e r   a t   t h e   J a n   V a n 
E y c k   A c a d e m i e .

  F r é d ér i c   M a r t e l   ( s p e a k e r ) 
i s   a   w r i t e r ,   j o u r n a l i s t   a 
n d   a   r e s e a r c h e r / p r o f e s s o r 
a t   S c i e n c e s   P o - P a r i s .   H e 
i s   a u t h o r   o f   5   b o o k s ,   i n c 
l u d i n g   T h e   P i n k   a n d   t h e   B 
l a c k ,   H o m o s e x u a l s   i n   F r a n 
c e   s i n c e   1 9 6 8   a n d   D e   l a   c 
u l t u r e   e n   A mé r i q u e   ( a n   o v 
e r v i e w   o n   t h e   A m e r i c a n   c u 
l t u r e   a n d   a r t   p o l i c y   s y s t 
e m   i n   t h e   U . S . ) .   F r o m   2 0 0 
1   t o   2 0 0 5 ,   h e   w a s   t h e   h e a 
d   o f   t h e   F r e n c h   c u l t u r a l 
a n d   a c a d e m i c   s e r v i c e s   i n 
t h e   F r e n c h   E m b a s s y   i n   t h e 
U . S .   H e   i s   n o w   t h e   e d i t o r 
o f   n o n f i c t i o n . f r ,   a   n e w   w 
e b s i t e   d e d i c a t e d   t o   b o o k s 
a n d   i d e a s .

  M e t a h a v e n   ( s p e a k e r )   i s   a 
d e s i g n   r e s e a r c h   c o l l e c t i v 
e   b a s e d   i n   A m s t e r d a m   a n d 
B r u s s e l s .   I t   c o n s i s t s   o f 
D a n i e l   v a n   d e r   V e l d e n ,   V i 
n c a   K r u k   a n d   G o n   Z i f r o n i . 
T h e i r   w o r k   f o c u s e s   o n   v i s 
u a l   i d e n t i t y   a n d   t h e   p o l i 
t i c a l ,   a s s i g n i n g   k e y   i m p o 
r t a n c e   t o   t h e   r o l e   o f   c o n 
f l i c t   i n   r e l a t i o n   t o   t h e 
d e s i g n   o f   i n s t i t u t i o n s   i n 
t h e   e r a   o f   g l o b a l i z a t i o n .

  S a b i n e   N i e d e r e r   ( r e s p o n d 
e n t )   i s   m a n a g i n g   d i r e c t o r 
o f   t h e   I n s t i t u t e   o f   N e t w o 
r k   C u l t u r e s   i n   A m s t e r d a m . 
S h e   r e c e n t l y   c o - f o u n d e d   t 
h e   D i g i t a l   M e t h o d s   I n i t i a 
t i v e ,   a   g r o u p   o f   r e s e a r c h 
e r s ,   p r o g r a m m e r s   a n d   d e s i 
g n e r s   d e d i c a t e d   t o   r e s e a r 
c h i n g   a n d   v i s u a l i z i n g   'n a 
t i v e l y   d i g i t a l'   o b j e c t s   o 
f   s t u d y ,   s u c h   a s   t h e   t a g , 
t h e   t h r e a d   a n d   t h e   l i n k .

  A n d ré   N u s s e l d e r   ( r e s p o n d e 
n t )   i s   a   p h i l o s o p h e r .   L a s 
t   y e a r   h e   f i n i s h e d   h i s   P h 
D   t h e s i s   a t   t h e   E r a s m u s   U 
n i v e r s i t y   R o t t e r d a m ,   i n   w 
h i c h   h e   i n v e s t i g a t e d   t h e 
r o l e   o f   f a n t a s y   i n   t h e   v i 
r t u a l   w o r l d s   c r e a t e d   b y   n 
e w   m e d i a   t e c h n o l o g i e s :   I n 
t e r f a c e - F a n t a s y .   W e a r y   o f 
a c a d e m i c   c o m m e n t a r y   a n d   c 
o n f o r m i s m ,   h e   i s   n o w   t r y i 
n g   t o   d e v e l o p   d i f f e r e n t   w 
a y s   t o   w r i t e   o n   p h i l o s o p h 
i c a l   i s s u e s .

  O p e n   S e a r c h   ( s p e a k e r ) ,   b 
y   E r i k   B o r r a   a n d   K o e n   M a r 
t e n s ,   i s   a   p e e r - t o - p e e r   p 
r o j e c t   w h e r e b y   p e o p l e   m u t 
u a l l y   f o r m   a   s e a r c h   e n g i n 
e   w i t h o u t   t h e   i n t e r v e n t i o 
n   o f   c e n t r a l   s e r v e r s   o r   a 
c e n t r a l   a c t o r .   T h e   m o t i v a 
t i o n   f o r   t h i s   p r o j e c t   i s 
t h e   c e n s o r s h i p   a n d   m a n i p u 
l a t i o n   b y   m a j o r   m u l t i n a t i 
o n a l   c o r p o r a t i o n s   ( G o o g l e 
,   Y a h o o ,   M i c r o s o f t ) .   K o e n 
M a r t e n s   i s   a   p r o g r a m m e r , 
h a c k e r ,   o r g a n i s e r ,   a n d   t h 
e   t r e a s u r e r   o f   G r o e n L i n k s 
T h e   H a g u e   s e c t i o n .   E r i k   B 
o r r a   g r a d u a t e d   i n   a r t i f i c 
i a l   i n t e l l i g e n c e   a n d   i s   n 
o w   i n v o l v e d   i n   t h e   D i g i t a 
l   M e t h o d s   I n i t i a t i v e .   T h e 
O p e n   S e a r c h   p r o j e c t   i s   s c 
h e d u l e d   t o   b e   l a u n c h e d   i n 
2 0 0 8 .

  R i c h a r d   R o g e r s   ( s p e a k e r ) 
i s   H e a d   o f   N e w   M e d i a   a t   t 
h e   U n i v e r s i t y   o f   A m s t e r d a 
m ,   a n d   d i r e c t o r   o f   t h e   G o 
v c o m . o r g   F o u n d a t i o n ,   a   g r 
o u p   t h a t   d e v e l o p s   i n f o - p o 
l i t i c a l   d e v i c e s   f o r   t h e   w 
e b .   P r e v i o u s l y ,   R o g e r s   w o 
r k e d   a s   S e n i o r   A d v i s o r   t o 
I n f o d r o m e ,   t h e   D u t c h   G o v e 
r n m e n t a l   I n f o r m a t i o n   S o c i 
e t y   i n i t i a t i v e .   H e   h a s   a l 
s o   w o r k e d   a s   R e s e a r c h   F e l 
l o w   i n   D e s i g n   a n d   M e d i a   a 
t   t h e   J a n   v a n   E y c k   A c a d e m 
i e ,   a n d   a s   a   R e s e a r c h e r   i 
n   T e c h n o l o g y   A s s e s s m e n t   a 
t   t h e   S c i e n c e   C e n t e r   B e r l 
i n   ( W Z B )   a n d   i n   S t r a t e g i c 
C o m p u t i n g   i n   t h e   P u b l i c   S 
e c t o r   a t   H a r v a r d   U n i v e r s i 
t y   ( J F K   S c h o o l ) .

  F l o r i a n   S c h n e i d e r   ( s p e a k 
e r ,   m o d e r a t o r )   i s   a   f i l m m 
a k e r   b a s e d   i n   M u n i c h .   H e 
h a s   b e e n   i n v o l v e d   i n   a   w i 
d e   r a n g e   o f   p r o j e c t s   d e a l 
i n g   w i t h   t h e   i m p l i c a t i o n s 
o f   p o s t - m o d e r n   b o r d e r   r e g 
i m e s   o n   a   t h e o r e t i c a l   a s 
w e l l   a s   a   p r a c t i c a l   l e v e l 
.   H e   i s   o n e   o f   t h e   i n i t i a 
t o r s   o f   t h e   c a m p a i g n   k e i n 
m e n s c h   i s t   i l l e g a l   a t   D o c 
u m e n t a   X   i n   1 9 9 7   a n d   s u b s 
e q u e n t   p r o j e c t s   s u c h   a s   t 
h e   ' n o   b o r d e r   n e t w o r k'  a n d 
t h e   o n l i n e - p l a t f o r m   k e i n . 
o r g .   H e   i s   a   m e m b e r   o f   t h 
e   P h D   p r o g r a m m e   i n   r e s e a r 
c h   a r c h i t e c t u r e   a t   G o l d s m 
i t h s   C o l l e g e ,   L o n d o n ,   a n d 
t e a c h e s   t h e o r y   a t   t h e   a r t 
a c a d e m y   i n   T r o n d h e i m .

  I s a b e l l e   S t e n g e r s   ( r e s p o 
n d e n t )   t e a c h e s   p h i l o s o p h y 
a t   t h e   U n i v e r s i t é   L i b r e   d 
e   B r u x e l l e s .   H e r   i n t e r e s t 
s   c e n t r e   a r o u n d   t h e   c o n s t 
r u c t i v e   a d v e n t u r e   o f   m o d e 
r n   s c i e n c e s   a n d   t h e   c r u c i 
a l   c h a l l e n g e   o f   w h a t   s h e 
c a l l s   a n  ' e c o l o g y   o f   p r a c 
t i c e s' ,   a s   a   c o n d i t i o n   f o 
r   e m b e d d i n g   o u r   m a n y   d i v e 
r g i n g   s c i e n t i f i c   p r a c t i c e 
s   i n   a   d e m o c r a t i c   a n d   d e m 
a n d i n g   e n v i r o n m e n t .   S h e   h 
a s   w r i t t e n   n u m e r o u s   b o o k s 
,   a m o n g   w h i c h ,   t r a n s l a t e d 
i n   E n g l i s h ,   O r d e r   o u t   o f 
C h a o s ,   w i t h   I l y a   P r i g o g i n 
e   a n d   P o w e r   a n d   I n v e n t i o n 
.   S i t u a t i n g   S c i e n c e ,   a n d 
T h e   I n v e n t i o n   o f   M o d e r n   S 
c i e n c e .

  I n g m a r   Weber  ( s p e a k e r )   i s   a 
p o s t d o c   i n   i n f o r m a t i o n   r e 
t r i e v a l   a t   t h e   E c o l e   P o l y 
t e c h n i q u e   Fé d é r a l e   d e   L a u 
s a n n e   i n   S w i t z e r l a n d .   H i s 
P h D   t h e s i s   a t   t h e   M a x - P l a 
n c k   I n s t i t u t e   f o r   C o m p u t e 
r   S c i e n c e   i n   G e r m a n y   d e a l 
s   w i t h   e f f i c i e n t   d a t a   s t r 
u c t u r e s   f o r   a n d   a p p l i c a t i 
o n s   o f   a   m o r e   i n t e r a c t i v e 
s e a r c h   e n g i n e   c a l l e d   C o m p 
l e t e S e a r c h .   I n g m a r   i s   g e n 
e r a l l y   i n t e r e s t e d   i n   a l t e 
r n a t i v e   s e a r c h   e n g i n e s   a n 
d   r u n s   a n   i n f o r m a l   s e m i n a 
r   o n  ' C o o l   s t u f f   o n   t h e   w 
e b'.

  M i c h a e l   Z i m m e r   ( s p e a k e r ) 
i s   t h e   M i c r o s o f t   F e l l o w   a 
t   t h e   I n f o r m a t i o n   S o c i e t y 
P r o j e c t   a t   Y a l e   L a w   S c h o o 
l   f o r   2 0 0 7 - 2 0 0 8 .   H i s   P h D   
T h e   Q u e s t   f o r   t h e   P e r f e c t 
S e a r c h   E n g i n e :   V a l u e s ,   T e 
c h n i c a l   D e s i g n ,   a n d   t h e   F 
l o w   o f   P e r s o n a l   I n f o r m a t i 
o n   i n   S p h e r e s   o f   M o b i l i t y 
,   i n v e s t i g a t e s   h o w   t h e   q u 
e s t   f o r   t h e  ' p e r f e c t   s e a r 
c h   e n g i n e' e m p o w e r s   t h e   w i 
d e s p r e a d   c a p t u r e   o f   p e r s o 
n a l   i n f o r m a t i o n   f l o w s   a c r 
o s s   t h e   I n t e r n e t ,   t h r e a t e 
n i n g   t h e   a b i l i t y   t o   e n g a g 
e   i n   o n l i n e   s o c i a l ,   c u l t u 
r a l   a n d   i n t e l l e c t u a l   a c t i 
v i t i e s   f r e e   f r o m   o v e r s i g h 
t ,   t h e r e b y   b e a r i n g   o n   t h e 
v a l u e s   o f   p r i v a c y ,   a u t o n o 
m y ,   a n d   l i b e r t y .

Forum on Quaero initiated by Metahaven Design Research
Curated by Tsila Hassine, Vinca Kruk, Daniel van der Velden and Gon Zifroni



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