“The notion of the near as what is spatially proximal is being remodelled into a notion of the near as what is socially proximal—what we feel is relevant to us socially, regardless of whether it is spatially near or far. For people on the privileged side of the digital divide, the near is no longer bound by space, but instead is something that is constructed through our participation in digital networks.
These networks are not antisocial, but highly social. They do not necessarily attempt to do away with the spatially near (the local) but in fact promise us a renewed relationship with it (in addition to new relationships with the spatially far or the global).”
Ulises Mejias, Off The Network
EN In times of physical distancing, sus_NET a series of ‘slow’ collaborate sessions have been filling the ‘gap’ of what would have been a series of in person meetings and knowledge exchanges. On monthly organised sessions around a proposed theme the group gathers and shares situated practices and experiences of going through multiple phases of lockdown in various geographic locations across the world.
The current time of crisis and confinement has reconfigured our appreciations of proximity. In this process, we found ourselves redefining social distance and nearness in our networks. What did we learn from this experience? How can we nurture and maintain certain initiatives, mobilised efforts, tools and infrastructures? Perhaps most importantly is to ask how to continue feeding our network imagination in our cyber futures.
ES En tiempos de distanciamiento físico, sus_NET una serie de sesiones de colaboración "lenta" han estado llenando el "vacío" de lo que habría sido una serie de reuniones en persona e intercambios de conocimientos. En sesiones mensuales organizadas en torno a un tema propuesto, el grupo se reúne y comparte prácticas y experiencias situadas en torno a múltiples fases de encierro en diversos lugares geográficos del mundo.
La actual época de crisis y encierro ha reconfigurado nuestras apreciaciones sobre la proximidad. En este proceso, nos encontramos redefiniendo la distancia social y la cercanía en nuestras redes. ¿Qué hemos aprendido de esta experiencia? ¿Cómo podemos alimentar y mantener ciertas iniciativas, esfuerzos movilizados, herramientas e infraestructuras? Quizá lo más importante sea preguntarse cómo seguir alimentando nuestra imaginación de red en nuestros ciberfuturos. Note: traducción realizada con www.DeepL.com/Translator.
Q&A's by sus_NET participants as part of the Digitally Equal — Equally Digital project; Website by Joana Chicau, Typeface Monoxil by Urtd.