Miriyam Aouragh to present research on resistance at “Every Act of Struggle” conference in Amsterdam

On 25 April, Prof. Miriyam Aouragh will present the outcomes of Resistant Energies, diving into visual archives of anti-Apartheid struggles and entanglements with infrastructure. A research collaboration with Titipi, the work is will be presented at the Art Institute de Appel in Amsterdam for their conference Every Act of Struggle.

The Resistant Energies research trajectory was a trans-practice gathering of activists, artists, engineers and theorists committed to articulate, activate and re-imagine together what computational technologies in the “public interest” might be when “public interest” is always in-the-making. Miriyam Aouragh organised this inheritance role as Co-I of the Infrastructural Rehearsals funded project.
The full list of participants include Miriyam Aouragh, Karl Moubarak and Omar Jabary Salamanca, Sofia Boschat-Thorez and Femke Snelting.

Time: 5-6.30pm

Title: Resistant Energies—Research sharing and study session with Miriyam Aouragh, Karl Moubarak and Omar Jabary Salamanca

Infrastructural resistance is the abolitionist work of breaking down oppressive infrastructures and at the same time imagining, organising and/or building up new structures and institutions. But what does this look like? How are infra-struggles presented visually as part of historical legacies? What visual lexicon and quotidian aesthetics could transform affective and political relations to infrastructures?

In this conversation, Miriyam, Karl and Omar will speak about the deep dive they are taking into the archives of IISH, The International Institute of Social History (Amsterdam), exploring visual evidence of creative strategies, community organising, publishing, and concepts for and of infra-resistance. The archives contain rich materials, including posters, flyers, stickers, photos, maps, diagrams, architectural plans, performances, banners, and objects. Based on the conviction that visual practices can energize the building of everyday infrastructures for communication, caring, learning, sharing resources and creative life otherwise; their research has focused on both the recovery of images that help situate, politically sharpen, historicise and create imaginative strategies for resistance against digital depletion, and on the violence waged by computational infrastructures collaborating with corporate and state actors on genocidal technologies and supply chains. They will share archival material and images specifically pertaining to the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.

Learn more about the conference and see the full programme here.