Video Archive – The Conference by Media Evolution

Timothée Parrique – How to Blow Up an Economy

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:30:49 GMT

When everyone else calls for economic growth, innovation, and addition, Timothée Parrique demands demolition, sabotage, and removal. Our strive towards infinite growth is not sustainable on a finite planet. So far, no economy in the world has managed to grow its economy without overshooting the planetary boundaries. That’s why we need an economic strategy based on subtractions, not additions. And we need to rethink the economy's purpose, as growth tells us nothing about prosperity and well-being. So, is de-growth the solution?

Timothée advocates for a planned, selective, and temporary downscaling of production and consumption. Mainly because the alternative, growth-obsessed capitalism, is a total collapse. And if you want to lose weight, you would want to diet gradually over time rather than chop off a leg, right? Let's come in like a wrecking ball and discuss how an economy can prosper without growth — because that is the ultimate innovation.

Dr. Eduardo Castello Ferrer – Blockchain, Robotics and Economic Autonomy

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:30:36 GMT

Have you ever met a self-employed autonomous robot artist? Introducing Gaka-chu ("painter" in Japanese), a 6-axis robot arm that creates artistic paintings of Japanese characters. While robots have historically been treated as labour, Gaka-chu explores the concept of claiming agency and economic autonomy using blockchain-based smart contracts.

So, can robots actually maintain themselves? And if so, what implications do these economically autonomous robots have? Eduardo argues that instead of treating robots like tools, they have the potential to become peers. At the same time, robots, like Gaka-chu, now have access to economic resources without being part of traditional business entities. Would you acquire a piece from Gaka-chu and hang it on your wall?

Jenny Grettve – Feminist Economies

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:29:32 GMT

With severe catastrophes happening around us constantly - ecologically, economically, as well as socially - we tend to feel hopeless. But hopelessness is for the privileged. Our fear makes us hold on to things we already know instead of pursuing new things. We feel lost and want to think that crisis happens elsewhere - climate change does not affect me or my loved ones. But it actually does: When climate injustice happens somewhere, it happens everywhere. And as human beings, we have to act on it.

For Jenny Grettve, the answer is kindness. Addressing problems caused by selfishness, like the climate crisis, calls for a philosophical and psychological approach. As human beings we need to be genuinely caring, always and everywhere, to create a supply chain of kindness. And we need to pursue a more feminist, matriarchy-based way of thinking in the economy. But how can we implement more kindness in our daily lives? And how can we pursue a more circular economy that is not based on hierarchies, domination, power, and wealth, but perceives everyone to be equally important? Let’s create the butterfly effect of kindness!

Q&A – Entangled Economies

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:50:06 GMT

Q&A from the session Entangled Economies - Creating Value with Generosity and Interdependence with Jenny Grettve (Anon, When!When!), Timothee Parrique (Lund University), Eduardo Castello Ferrer (MIT).