Illegal Directions ── ‘Algorithmic Sabotage’ & Self-Organization

• This inaugural workshop, the first in a trilogy of private workshops and talks, is an initiative organized by individuals affiliated with the Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (ASRG). Titled Illegal Directions ── ‘Algorithmic Sabotage’ & Self-Organization, the workshop critically engages with the potential of aesthetics to traverse the complex and often inequitable social terrains shaped by contemporary information systems.
• Posted: Oct 30, 2024. Modified: Jan 8, 2025

Visual: © Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (ASRG). The typeface used is Trickster, provided by Velvetyne Foundry (available at: https://velvetyne.fr/fonts/trickster/).

* Please note that this page will be updated regularly to reflect any new information pertaining to the workshop titled Illegal Directions ── ‘Algorithmic Sabotage’ & Self-Organization. Updates will include details on the venue, scheduled dates, and relevant information regarding the registration process.

About the Workshop #

In this intensive, one-day, eight-hour workshop, the Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (ASRG) will undertake a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the critical concept of “algorithmic sabotage,” situating it as a prefigurative praxis explicitly designed to oppose a technopolitics that exacerbates neoliberal inequalities and amplifies various dimensions of necropolitics within systems that already perpetuate forms of segregation, racialization, and exclusion.

Throughout the workshop, “algorithmic sabotage” will be operationalized through both “legal” and “illegal” orientations, with its application analyzed within broader political, cultural, societal, and technological struggles—both “above” and “below” the algorithm. The insights generated will deepen the understanding of its strategic approaches and aesthetic manifestations, contributing to the development of transformative alternatives centered on agency, resistance, and refusal.

* The artistic approach will play a central role in introducing and formulating methods and tactics that foster awareness, experimentation, and agency. Additionally, it will provide critical literacy in the context of advanced computation, which has the potential to deepen existing inequalities and injustices, intensifying divisions and advancing the trajectory toward algorithmic authoritarianism.

Workshop Outcomes #

The workshop has been meticulously designed with the aim of achieving three core objectives:

1. The primary objective is to facilitate the establishment of a cohesive community, fostering robust networking among individuals who occupy pivotal roles across diverse fields, including creative and subversive artistic activism, technical expertise, and collective action. Additionally, the workshop will function as a platform for substantive interdomain networking, enabling the formation of meaningful connections between individuals with varied expertise and backgrounds, thereby facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration.

2. The secondary objective is to promote a comprehensive and critical analysis of the spectrum of collective techno-disobedience. This encompasses instances where techno-disobedience is strategically employed as a countermeasure against the oppressive constraints imposed by algorithmic state repression, right-wing political structures, and the deleterious consequences of unchecked techno-solutionism. In this context, the workshop will present and examine innovative strategies for withdrawal, refusal, sabotage, and the negotiation of novel “lines of flight” from techno-feudal forms of domination, as a means of challenging the ascendant tide of right-wing ideologies and the pervasive discourse of securitization.

3. The third objective is to engage participants in collaborative, knowledge-generating processes that aim to further refine this approach, alongside the methodologies that underpin it. The goal is to create sustainable pathways for solidarity, emancipation, and empowerment.

Organisers #

The workshop, titled Illegal Directions ── ‘Algorithmic Sabotage’ & Self-Organization, is being organized by individuals affiliated with the Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (ASRG). It represents the inaugural session in a series of three privately organized workshops and talks, with the subsequent two events scheduled to occur in the near future.

Kra. Con. / Artist & Researcher. In order to protect the privacy of the individual depicted, the face has been redacted using the DFACE.app.

Rud. Jen. / Computer Scientist. In order to protect the privacy of the individual depicted, the face has been redacted using the DFACE.app.

Ard. Den. / Artist & Researcher. In order to protect the privacy of the individual depicted, the face has been redacted using the DFACE.app.

Supplemental Information #

The workshop is designed to engage a diverse range of participants, including investigative journalists, human rights defenders, artists, hackers, researchers, political activists, and groups of people who are joining forces for the occasion. A maximum of 25 individuals, aged 18 years and older, will be admitted to the workshop. The event will take place over one day, comprising eight hours of structured instruction, with scheduled breaks between sessions to foster active participation.

It is important to note that the workshop, titled Illegal Directions ── ‘Algorithmic Sabotage’ & Self-Organization, will be conducted in an offline format. For participants unable to attend in person, a secure online connection will be provided to facilitate real-time participation. The workshop will be conducted in English, Greek, and German. Participants with limited proficiency in these languages may experience challenges in fully engaging with the content, which could affect their overall participation.

Prerequisites #

• Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops or mobile devices, although the use of traditional note-taking materials, such as a notebook and pen, is also acceptable.

• While prior experience, specialized knowledge, or equipment is not a prerequisite, it is advisable for participants to have a foundational understanding of the subject matter.

Contact #

Should you be interested in hosting this workshop in your area or require additional information, please contact us at the following address: x7kekmg7@proton.me.

To ensure secure communication, we respectfully request that you use our GPG key when corresponding with us via the provided email address. Our public key can be obtained here or alternatively via a public key server using the following command:

gpg --recv-keys DD4FF0D691C7C8F501C1CD0441CC385A75C16CD7

Archive #

A summary of selected outcomes from the workshop will be made available for download as an archive. We encourage you to visit this page periodically for updates.