S+T+ARTS PRIZE PANEL: MAKING COLLECTIVE DATASETS FOR JUSTICE

Datasets are often made with data that carry harmful biases. But can we make datasets collectively for social and environmental justice? If so, how? In this panel, we invite two collectives and one artist whose works have been nominated for the S+T+ARTS Prize 2023, an annual award for critical and creative projects in the intersection of science, technology, and arts. 

 The presentation at the Public Spaces conference featured three projects that highlighted the importance of collective data gathering and the use of technology to defend citizens’ rights.

Anna Berti Summan presented her project “Sensing for Justice,” emphasizing the significance of citizen-generated data to create visualizations and legal cases against pollution. Superposition discussed “Inside the NYPD’s Surveillance Machine,” shedding light on the impact of surveillance on society and the need for collective action to resist it.

The cultural and artistic methodologies employed in these projects play a crucial role in communicating their message to the public sphere.

Additionally, the third artwork, “Hashd0x | Proof of War” by Egor Kraft, proposed using blockchain technology to verify news, images, and information to combat fake news and misinformation. The common thread among all three projects is the utilization of technology as a means to resist abuses of technology.

Overall, the presentation underscored the importance of collective organization, technology, and resistance in defending citizens’ rights and fostering a more just society.

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