Abstract

We are living in an era where air conditions and atmospheres enter our awareness and are made explicit. Through rising awareness of global warming and of how we modify our indoors and outdoors climates, it is clear that we must redesign the systems we use for air-conditioning different spheres of our planet’s air. This includes our power supply systems. French sociologist Bruno Latour claims: “As soon as artists, designers and architects are busying themselves with the light element [Air], we are going somewhere. From the philosophical point of view, Air will take the place of Earth as the ‘fundamental element’” (2004a). By looking at two digital artworks, dealing with air conditions and electricity consumption, this article will use the ideas of Bruno Latour and German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk to discuss what role art may play in rethinking ‘air-conditioning systems’.

• Lea Schick. I am currently writing my Ph.D. at the IT University in Copenhagen. I am a part of the Technologies in Practice, TiP group. Research interest: Sustainability, Science and Technology Studies (STS), Actor-network theory (ANT), Architecture, Ecology, Social and Cultural Theory, Post-structuralism, Gender and Body Studies, Social Media, Philosophy of Science and Technology, Ubiquitous computing, Smart Textiles. I hold a bachelor degree from Århus University, Aesthetic and Culture. And a masters degree from IT University, Digital Design and Communication where I wrote my master thesis on Smart textiles and changing concepts of embodiment. To have my thesis send please email me. The thesis is in Danish, but see Publications for shorter article on the subject. I have earlier been the editor of an online Knowledge Exchange of Smart Textiles, which served the purpose of informing the Danish textiles industry and the broad public on the possibilities of future textiles. The Knowledge exchange was a corporation between The Knowledge Center for Smart Textiles in Herning and Innovation Lab. As part of the COP15 a big Art Exhibition, RETHINK was arranged in Copenhagen. As part of this exhibition I had the job of collecting articles for REFLECT, an online forum concerning the Rethinking of central concepts in the age of climate change. Here you find around 30 articles by authors such as Bruno Latour, Anthony Giddens, Mike Hulme, Timothy Morton etc.
• Anne So­phie Witzke  [ISEA2011 provided no biographical information]

Full text (PDF)  p. 2169-2176