Critical Transfeminist Design¶
Day 1 - Intro¶
“En un mundo donde el lenguaje y el nombrar las cosas son poder… el silencio es opresión y violencia.” Adrienne Rich
The importance of acknowledging the colonial background and systemic racism in our structures was a central theme in this seminar. The discussion explored the concept of eugenics and how it has been used to justify terrible acts in the name of moral duty. The use of men to refer to humankind and the British Eugenics Society were also touched upon. Julian Huxley, a biologist and one of the most important thinkers of the British Eugenics Society, promoted the idea of enhancing the human race through genetics. However, eugenics policies were used to sterilize women from ethnic minorities without consent and even with consent, state forces convinced women in precarious situations why they wouldn’t be good mothers. This resonated with me personally because in Peru during Alberto Fujimori’s regime many indigenous women were sterilized without their consent and this practice is still justified by large parts of the Peruvian population.
The class also delved into the importance of paying attention to the use of terms, terminology, narrative, and discourses. Spinoza’s philosophy, which distinguishes power as negative, restrictive, and oppressive (potestas) from power as positive, affirmative, and empowering (potentia), was also discussed. The idea that politics cannot be split from ethics and epistemology was also highlighted.
The discussion then shifted to the topic of Indigenous feminism and radical Indigenous survivance and empowerment, which counter creating narratives that reproduce colonial background. The importance of being aware of one’s own privileges was emphasized, and Daniela Ortiz’s critical approach to migrant laws in Spain and the Spanish State was discussed. Ius Sanguinis, which is still present in Spain, was also touched upon, and it was pointed out how systemic racism, colonialism, and extreme inequalities are still present in our structures.
The class also explored the concept of the subaltern, which refers to the experience and subjective condition of the subordinate, determined by a relation of domination, and the idea that “we cannot demolish the master’s house with the master’s tools”. Epistemic violence was discussed, and it was pointed out that it is important to pay attention to absences as well as presences.
The class concluded by emphasizing the importance of being aware of one’s own privileges and contradictions, using tools from Western philosophy to open up critical cracks on what topics to address, and acknowledging who occupies the place of enunciation.
The discussion also explored bioethics and biohacking within a queer perspective, emphasizing that there are no universal rules or methodologies.
Mary Magic’s idea of synthesizing hormones for queer bodies raises important questions about control and ownership of our bodies, particularly in the context of colonization and bioethics. She proposes that open source hormones could be developed as an alternative to biomedically-produced hormones, which have been shown to contain xenoestrogens that disrupt hormonal balance.
Overall, Mary Magic’s proposal opens up important conversations about control, ownership, and autonomy over our own bodies, particularly in the context of colonization and queer bodies. It challenges us to rethink dominant medical narratives and to consider alternative ways of taking care of ourselves and our bodies.
Day 2 - Looking at projects hacking the binary and concepts of pureness¶
During this seminar, we delved into several exciting projects and references that challenged my thinking on various topics. One of the most inspiring projects we looked at was the work of Quimera Rosa and their experimental wet lab in Barcelona. They experiment on themselves and their work is based on the principle of consent and dissent. Their approach gave me a new perspective on accessibility and the possibility of being in touch with other communities and perspectives.
Another reference that resonated with me was Lynn Margulis’ book “Symbiotic Planet,” which challenged the conventional social neo-darwinist conception of evolution based on struggle. Instead, Margulis proposed the concept of symbiotic interdependence, which can lead to a more harmonious co-existence. This concept reinforced the importance of interconnections and the need to work towards collective care practices.
We also looked at the Aquaforensics project by Robertina Šebjanič and Gjino Šutić, which explored the impact of sound pollution on ocean dwellers. This project pushed the boundaries of where design practice and philosophy start and end and highlighted the need to address privilege, gender roles, and citizenship in our approach to sustainability.
Finally, we explored the concept of Design Justice, which emphasizes the need for designers to be more accountable and responsible for their work. The Myconnect project was an example of this approach, where a post-human interconnected planetary perspective was taken to view everything as co-habitants of the planet, rather than resources for exploitation.
Overall, these projects and references challenged my thinking on power dynamics, the illusion of purity, and the importance of collective care. They also emphasized the need for situated epistemologies and the importance of addressing toxic and pure concepts to create a more equitable society.
Storytelling as a non-extractive research method
As I sit with his stories, I value how storytelling can be a caring way for researchers and participants to collaborate as equal partners. I further wonder, isn’t it ironic to refer to some people as‘participants’ and some as ‘researchers’ when there’s a deep two-way exchange of energy and wisdom?